Lovely Jewels
by Jin Juhua Lang
Summary: Kuroko is moving out to live on his own and his father has gifted him with a mysterious box that belonged to his grandfather. Upon opening the box, five (amazingly hot) guys take form and one of them has his eyes set on making Kuroko his. Yet with the opening of the box comes great trouble, for Kuroko possesses a special ability that a secret organization wishes to use.
1. Chapter 1

Lovely Jewels

What is this?

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Kuroko looked up from his book when a small wooden box was placed before him on the table in front of him. He moved his gaze further up to see his father smiling down at him. Kuroko slowly placed a bookmark in his book and closed it. "What is this, Father?"

Kuroko's father's smile widened. "This is your going-away present, son!" The older version of Kuroko pushed the box closer to Kuroko. "I forgot that we had this up in the attic. This belonged to your grandfather."

Kuroko nodded and examined the wooden box. The top of it showed-off a carved image of a basketball surrounded by five jewels. Kuroko arched a brow at the odd image. He then noticed the combination lock at the front of the box. All the numbers were at zero. The lock, made of gold that was now dulled, was shaped into a flower. Kuroko shook his head at the obvious mismatching of themes. He stood up from his chair and picked up the box and his book.

"Thank you Father," Kuroko said in a monotone voice, though his eyes showed a more warm feeling.

"No problem!" Kuroko's father stated while placing a hand on Kuroko's shoulder. He gave his son a lopsided smile. "Though I've never opened it…I don't know the code." His father started laughing. "I can't believe I've never asked your grandfather about it."

Kuroko internally sighed. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be able to do something with this." With that Kuroko bowed slightly and headed out of the room. He just needed to check to make sure all of his belongings were packed before he went to his new apartment.

* * *

Kuroko came from a very wealthy family that gained its wealth from business. He was in his second year of high school and due to wanting to become more independent, he requested an apartment to live in. His father obliged, always happy to fulfill his unselfish son's wishes. Kuroko was working hard to become the best heir possible.

After checking his room, Kuroko headed downstairs to the entrance of his parents' mansion. Once down he found his father waiting for him. He didn't look for his mother, knowing she was away on a business trip.

"Have fun and be good, Tetsuya," his father said quietly before pulling Kuroko in for a hug. "Study hard too, but remember to _have _fun."

Kuroko nodded, returning the hug. He waved good-bye once more and then entered the awaiting car. Inside, he looked out the window and nodded in acknowledgement to his father who was still waving. The car slowly drove around the roundabout in front of the mansion before exiting the premises. Kuroko closed his eyes and leaned back into the chair, mentally preparing himself for living alone. He flinched when something beside him moved. He opened his eyes and looked over to spot his grandfather's box. Not knowing why, he picked it up and placed it in his lap. He tilted his head to the side when this seemed to make the box happy. _Ah, I better get a hold of myself now. I can't go thinking that boxes have feelings._

Twenty-minutes or so later, the car stopped in front of a huge apartment complex. Around the apartment was a tall black fence. Kuroko stepped out with the box in one hand as he shielded the other to look up at the building. He spotted multiple security cameras. _Of course my parents would. _

"Kuroko-sama."

Kuroko broke his gaze to face the two men dressed in black suits standing in front of him. He nodded his head and took the card one of them offered. Afterwards, the two men quickly went to the car to unpack the rest of Kuroko's belongings.

"Your room has already been furnished, Kuroko-sama," one of the men stated as he took hold of a box. "Please go ahead and take a look."

With that, Kuroko walked up to the now open gates and entered the building. He looked down at his card key to find his room's number before stepping into the elevator. He pressed the button labeled with the number "24." _I guess I'm staying at the very top then._ Kuroko looked down quickly when he felt the box vibrate a bit. He frowned. At that moment the elevator doors opened and Kuroko stepped out onto the twenty-fourth floor.

He opened the door to his room and took a few tentative steps inside. The room was, as the men before had said, completely furnished. Kuroko looked down to his right to see a shoe rack. He slipped off his shoes and carefully put them on the top before continuing his exploration. He walked into the kitchen area and set the box down on the counter. The countertops were of the finest metal and the cabinets were light brown oak wood. He went on a search for his room, leaving the box in the kitchen.

Kuroko opened the door that led to his room and smiled. It was very similar to the room at his home. It was nice and simple, just how he preferred it. He looked at the desk that was across from his bed that lay in the center of the back wall. Light blue was the color them of the room contrasted with dark brown wood furniture. He stopped in front of his desk to make sure his school material had arrived. He walked out of the room when he heard the front door open; sure the men had arrived with the rest of his belongings.

"Ah, thank you. You can leave the boxes right over there," Kuroko said while gesturing with his hand.

The men did as they were told, gently placing the boxes down in their designated spot. "We will take our leave now." Both men gave Kuroko a curt bow before leaving the apartment.

Kuroko let out a small, unnoticeable sigh of relief before going towards his boxes. He opened the top one and began to empty its contents. The first box mostly contained some kitchen supplies. He took a couple of pots in his arms before walking back into the kitchen. Spotting the pot/pan rack above the island in the kitchen, he quickly walked over to hang the pots up. After a few more trips, he finished emptying both boxes.

Wiping his brow, Kuroko leaned against the side of the counter before deciding to open the fridge to get some water. He turned around with a water bottle still in his mouth to see his grandfather's-well his now-box. Kuroko put the water bottle aside and picked up the box. He brought it closer to his face and inspected the lock once again. There were four slots for numbers…which meant hundreds of possible solutions.

He walked over to his living room and sat down on one of the white couches. Folding his legs he started putting random numbers into the lock, trying to break the code. His brows furrowed in concentration, but then a sudden sleepiness began to overtake him. _What?_ Kuroko rubbed his eyes as his grip on the box loosened. His lids became heavier and he found himself succumbing to sleep.

* * *

Kuroko shifted uncomfortably as he felt hands gently running through his hair. He opened his eyes slowly and had to blink a couple of times in order for his vision to adjust. When he was able to focus, he flinched a bit in shock. A pair of heterochromatic eyes of red and gold stared down at him. Kuroko immediately tried to get up, but the man above him held him down. Kuroko quickly realized that his head was lying in the man's lap. He also made note of the red hair that the man had.

Kuroko stared confusedly as the man began talking for no sound came out. "I don't understand," Kuroko muttered bluntly.

The red head frowned a bit. He held up his hand. He showed three fingers first and made sure that Kuroko was watching his hand. Then he showed one, five, and then three again. His eyes caught Kuroko's gaze and he seemed to be asking if Kuroko understood what he was trying to convey. Kuroko immediately caught on.

Kuroko stiffened when the man cupped his cheek and began leaning down towards him. His lips were centimeters away from the red head's when Kuroko felt him move from the lip to Kuroko's ear. Kuroko blushed a bit, feeling a warm breath soothe his hear. His blush deepened in its red color when the red head nibbled his ear.

* * *

Kuroko jolted awake, breathing hard with an evident blush apparent on his face. He looked around wildly for the mystery man, not seeing him. The box began slipping from his lap, but thankfully he caught it in time. Returning his attention back to the box he quickly began putting the code he received from the man in his dream. _Three…one….five…and then…what was it?_ Kuroko sat back and tapped his chin, trying to remember the last number. However, when he thought back to the man, all he could remember was the nibbling…on his ear. Kuroko's hand immediately went to his ear. He shook his head quickly, trying to erase the memory from his mind. He sighed loudly before finally remembering the last number. _Three!_

The box snapped open after he put in the last number to reveal five sparkling gems. He quickly noticed that each gem was a distinct different color. The top row consisted of three of the six gems. The colors from left to right were: purple, red, and then green. The two gems on the bottom row were dark blue and yellow.

The gems seem to be sucking Kuroko into their shininess. Kuroko reached out to touch the red gem. Upon making contact, each of the gems began to shine brightly, practically shooting light out from themselves. Kuroko shielded his eyes.

"Ahhh, finally, I can stretch my legs!"

Kuroko uncovered his eyes and jumped a little when he spotted a tall blonde man stretching in front of him. He also saw that the blonde was…shirtless. "Who-"

"You didn't have legs anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Kuroko looked to the left to see a green haired man pushing up his glasses. He stood next to a tan-skinned man with dark blue hair who looked deadly bored. Kuroko looked to his right to see an obviously tall man with purple hair munching on a snack bar of some sort. It beyond obvious that the only piece of clothing these guys had on was a pair of pants. Suddenly, the four men turned to look at Kuroko…no wait behind him?

Before Kuroko could turn around, two arms encircled his waist and he was pulled against another person. Kuroko meekly turned his head to spy the same heterochromatic eyes that he had seen in his dreams.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said while pulling Kuroko closer to him.

Kuroko uncomfortably tried to pull away in vain, already knowing that this guy was without a shirt as well. "Uh, how do you know my name?"

"I've always known who you are, Tetsuya," the red head replied while brushing the back of his hand across Tetsuya's cheek.

Kuroko gently pushed the hand away while a light pink color dusted his cheeks. "Will you tell me all of _your _names then?" Kuroko asked politely as he looked at the others in the room, making sure to keep his eyes on their face and not their…amazingly sculpted abs.

The red head sighed a bit before introducing himself. "I am Akashi Seijuro." He motioned towards the tall purple head. "He is Murasakibara Atsushi. The blonde one in front of you is Kise Ryouta, the blue-headed one is Aomine Daiki, and the one with the glasses is Midorima Shintarou." Akashi buried his head into the crook of Kuroko's neck. "Is that all you need?"

"If you would let go of me, that would be great," Kuroko said while pushing against Akashi's arms.

Aomine let out a snicker that was quickly silenced by Akashi's glare.

Akashi reluctantly let go of Kuroko and watched as he stood up. The absence of warmth served to sour his mood. "I have a feeling you want something more, Tetsuya."

Kuroko nodded slightly as he stood a good distance away from the group of rainbow heads. "An explanation would be nice." He looked at the box and the rest followed his gaze. "You guys were just jewels before right?" Kuroko averted his gaze to the ceiling. "And…I will go and get you guys something to wear."

Akashi ran a hand through his hair. _Ah, so much things to explain to my dear Tetsuya. _He leaned back against the couch comfortably and smirked when he saw Tetsuya eyeing him.

Kuroko quickly turned in a flustered manner and walked towards his room. "I will be right back with some shirts."

"Is that necessary?" Akashi asked, smirking smugly.

"It's necessary."

* * *

Akashi allowed himself a small chuckle before his gaze turned to those surrounding him. "He is mine."

"Awwww, Akashicchi! He is adorable though!" Kise whined while tears filled the corners of his eyes.

Aomine rolled his eyes before throwing an arm around Kise. "Tch, he's not _that_ adorable."

Kise turned to look at Aomine with an astonished look. "Y-You see it too Aominecchi?"

Aomine moved his face closer to Kise's causing the blonde to blush. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Akashi cleared his throat. Kise and Aomine looked up to see Akashi glaring at them. "Am I understood?"

Kise weakly nodded while Aomine mumbled his agreement.

"Kuroko looks yummy though," Murasakibara commented. "I want to munch on him.

Akashi turned a gentler gaze on the purple haired giant. "I will find someone else for you to munch on, Atsushi."

Murasakibara nodded and went back to eating though one could obviously tell he was disappointed.

* * *

Kuroko opened his extra closet that contained a variety of different sized clothing. His relatives _and_ his parents all thought that he would grow and therefore bought him large sizes of clothing. Kuroko shook his head. _I don't think I will be needing these. _With five shirts in hand he began to exit his room.

_Is this what you mean by "fun" father?_

* * *

Starting the New Year with this story!

If you enjoyed please R&R!

This will be eventual AkaKuro if you couldn't tell and I will be adding other couples as well!


	2. Trouble with Kidnappers?

Lovely Jewels

Trouble with Kidnappers?

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Kuroko walked back into his living room to see that the other five guys had not moved much. The only obvious difference was that Kise was now sitting next to Murasakibara. He quickly found that they did not notice him and he relaxed a little. Born with a very low, mostly undetectable presence had led Kuroko accustomed to being unnoticed. He found that though it was considered a curse, his low presence came quite in handy at times. He spotted Akashi still lying down on the side of the couch he had left him on and felt a sudden urge to do an act of revenge for the unnecessary touching from before. Picking a shirt from the pile he was holding he pulled his arm back and then threw the wadded up shirt at the redhead.

Akashi had seen Kuroko the minute he had entered the room and was highly amused at his light-blue head's antics. He swiftly caught the shirt before it could hit his head, not that his head was in any danger in the first place. The throw was a bit weak. He slowly turned to show Kuroko a smirk.

"WAAAAH!" cried Kise as he latched onto Murasakibara's arm.

Murasakibara arched his brow in annoyance and quickly pushed off the clingy blonde.

"Ghost!" Kise continued to yell before Aomine bumped him on the top of his head. Kise looked at the tan blue head with tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. "Mou, Aominecchi!"

Aomine ruffled the blonde's hair. "It's Kuroko, idiot, not a ghost." He gestured towards Kuroko whose expression was as blank as ever.

"Thank you Aomine-san, for noticing me," Kuroko purposely stated, knowing that his words would irk a certain redhead.

Akashi brushed off Kuroko's cold shoulder, planning to get him back for it later. He took the shirt and pulled it over, giving a face of displeasure at the sudden covering of his skin. He watched as Kuroko began to pass out the rest of the shirts to the others.

After making sure that all the guys had their upper bodies properly covered, Kuroko moved to stand next to the wall. He looked at all of them in turn, ending on Akashi. "I'm listening."

Akashi couldn't help but smile a little. _You're adorable, Tetsuya, _Akashi murmured in his mind, knowing that if he were to say these words out loud, Kuroko would definitely get irritated. He turned and gave Midorima a you-go-ahead-and-explain look.

Midorima sighed and pushed up his glasses. "We are _Kiseki no Sedai,"_ Midorima stated while looking at Kuroko.

"Generation of Miracles?" Kuroko said incredulously. He glanced back at the box the five used to reside in. He remembered seeing a basketball on its cover. "What does that have to do with basketball then?"

"Eh? Kuroko, we're all prodigies when it comes to basketball!" Kise cut in excitedly. He smiled at Kuroko's further confused look.

Akashi looked at Kise with disdain. He turned to face Kuroko. "We _were_."

Kuroko shook his head. "None of this explains why you guys were jewels." He looked at the box again, to see if he could ask anything else. "And…and why did you belong to _my_ grandfather?"

"Tch." Aomine sat on the arm of the couch Kise and Murasakibara were sitting on. "Your grandfather just happened to find us in some old antique shop. He could never open the box like your father."

Akashi looked up to the ceiling in mild annoyance. His teammates sucked at explaining. "We are not of this time, Tetsuya. To be blunt, all of us are about around 160 years old."

Kuroko almost choked on his own saliva. Was he hearing right? These guys didn't look any older than he was! He managed to keep a straight expression, however.

"There was a time where we did dominate in basketball, but that time has long since passed," Akashi continued. He eyed Kuroko to see how he was taking this. "We are still alive because we are human hybrids. So we can't live forever, but we live much longer than humans."

"Our time is further extended because we were forced to take jewel form," Midorima flawlessly added. "I say forced because quite a few people were angered by our presences." He glared at Kise who visibly shrunk.

"It wasn't my fault Midorimacchi! Those girls flocked to me of their own accord!" Kise quickly shot out in order to defend himself. He looked at Aomine for support.

Kuroko was still in a state of disbelief. "Let me guess, you guys have some sort of super power too," he said in a joking manner.

"Quite observant, Tetsuya," Akashi said with approval. He noticed that his words managed to make an almost non-existent blush appear on Kuroko's face for a split second.

Kuroko could not believe that he was right. Although he managed to hide any emotions he was feeling, he _did_ have a feeling that Akashi knew just how bewildered he was right now. _Yet how do I fit into all of this?_ Kuroko let out a small gasp when Akashi appeared right in front of him.

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he cupped the right side of Kuroko's face. "You don't need to worry, we will protect you at all costs." He watched as Kuroko's brows furrowed in confusion. "I won't let anyone harm what is mine."

"I am more lost with your explanation," Kuroko sighed. He felt Akashi's inviting warmth, but quickly moved to the side to escape the redhead. "But I still have to go to school, so what will you guys be doing?"

Akashi smirked and folded his arms, resisting the urge to recapture Kuroko. "We'll go to school with you."

Kise immediately let out a whine. "Back to school? Why Akashicchi?" He pouted and then looked at Kuroko. "Wouldn't it be a bother for Kuroko?"

Murasakibara looked down at the blonde beside him before, in his mind, _gently_ pushing him. "Aka-chin wants us to protect Kuroko wherever he goes," the giant muttered in slight boredom. He looked to Akashi for approval.

Kuroko's cellphone began to ring at that moment and he excused himself to answer it. He waited until he was in the kitchen before taking the call. "Hello?"

"Is this Kuroko Tetsuya?" a gruff voice asked.

Kuroko nodded his head while saying yes. "Is this someone I know?" He waited for a reply, but all he heard on the other line was chuckling. "I do not see how my question was funny."

The chuckling stopped. "Ah, I'm sorry Kuroko-kun, but it's been a long time since I heard your voice."

Kuroko frowned at how the man said his name in a familiar manner. "I'm not following."

"Blunt as always, aren't you?" the voice asked with humor laced in his tone. "Why don't you come out? I asked your father if we could meet up and he told me where you were staying. I'm outside."

Kuroko's eyes widened. _He talked to my father?_ Before he could come up with a reply, the other man on the voice started talking again.

"You're alone aren't you? I'll be your company."

Kuroko's brows scrunched up. It sounded as if the man was implying that he should come alone. Internally sighing, he said, "I will be down in a few minutes."

"Good," the voice answered before ending the call.

Kuroko pulled the phone away from the side of his ear and stared at it in suspicion. He jumped, almost unnoticeably, when he heard knocking behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Akashi leaning against the doorframe with one arm stretched above his head. Akashi stared at the phone in Kuroko's hand.

"Who was that?" Akashi asked casually. He refrained from moving closer to Kuroko and instead turned sideways so that he was leaning on the frame with his back and not his arm.

"A friend," Kuroko lied, though he wasn't sure if he was actually telling a lie. Kuroko held Akashi's gaze and kept his straight face. He felt his fingers twitch a bit.

Akashi lowered his eyelids a bit as he looked towards the ceiling. _He's lying to me._ Instead of confronting Kuroko, however, he walked past the slightly shorter boy and opened the fridge. "We'll wait here for you if you need to go."

Kuroko hid his shock fairly well. "Ah, thank you," he said while giving Akashi a curt nod before exiting the kitchen.

Akashi watched Kuroko leave while drinking out of a water bottle. He capped the bottle after quenching his thirst and immediately placed it on the counter. He had succeeded in marking Kuroko with one of his abilities that allowed him to see a person or enemy through walls by tracking him by his aura. Every ally of Akashi's gave off a light blue glow. He heard the door shut close and he arrived back in the living room.

"Where is he going?" Midorima immediately asked. "Not that his well-being is of my concern, of course." He looked off to the side.

Akashi stared at Midorima. "His well-being _is_ a concern." He watched as Midorima turned to glare at him. "We are going to follow him." Akashi looked at the ground, tracking Kuroko's outline.

"Using your Emperor's Eye?" Aomine asked, though he already knew the answer. He put both hands behind his head and let out a yawn as Akashi nodded his head. Grabbing Kise's arm, Aomine pulled him towards the window. He spotted a gray-haired man standing outside of the gates. "We'll go check it out first."

"That's fine," Akashi said with approval before looking at the Midorima. "You and Atsushi stay here and see if anyone comes up." Akashi began leaving the room after Kise and Aomine. "I'm going to go get my Tetsuya."

* * *

Kuroko stepped out of the elevator and passed the front desk. He stopped to bow at the receptionist before exiting out the front door. Kuroko spotted an unfamiliar man outside the gate. The man looked up as Kuroko approached.

"Ah, it's nice to see you again," the man said as Kuroko opened the gate.

Kuroko looked warily at him, but noticed that he looked to be around the same age as himself. "I'm sorry, but I still don't know who you are."

"I should be the one saying sorry, Kuroko-kun. I'm Shōgo Haizaki. I've been attending the same high school as you," Haizaki said as an introduction. He held out his hand for Kuroko to shake. "Your parents have been close friends with mine and though I've seen you before, I've never made the effort to get to know you."

Kuroko was immediately on guard. He never recalled his parents talking about the Haizaki family. Reaching out, he gave Haizaki a firm handshake. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you then. Is there somewhere that you plan on going to?" He managed to catch a small glint in Haizaki's eyes when the gray-head smiled.

"Actually I did have something planned for our outing," Haizaki replied. The grey-haired man's smile transformed into a creepy one. "I brought my car, it's just over there," he said while pointing to a parking lot across the street.

Kuroko noted that the buildings around the parking lot shadowed the area. His mind raced with uncertainty, but when Haizaki started walking across the street, he found himself following. He looked around himself anxiously as his foot stepped back onto the sidewalk.

"Come on, it's just over here," Haizaki called over his shoulder. He slyly glanced at one of the cars and hid a smirk.

Kuroko obediently followed and watched as Haizaki stopped in front of a black van. Haizaki took out his keys and unlocked the car before walking over to the driver's side. He smiled and pointed at the other seat. Before Kuroko could move, however, a clothed hand filled his view. His eyes widened in panic as he struggled against the sweet smelling cloth.

"Aren't you a weak one?" Kuroko heard the man behind him say in a malicious tone.

Kuroko's eyes began to tear up. His ears picked up a scream as the pressure behind him disappeared. The cloth was gone as well and Kuroko was greeted by the sight of heterochromatic eyes. His vision blurred nonetheless as his consciousness began to drift. Kuroko felt his body being lifted and heard other voices, but all else was lost as black filled the rest of his mind.

* * *

Kise and Aomine ran up to Akashi. Both were unscathed, but noticeably ticked. Aomine gave Kise a quick onceover to make sure that the blonde was truly not hurt.

"Sorry, Akashicchi, but the gray-haired one got away," Kise said with a frown. He looked down at Kuroko. "He's not injured is he?"

Akashi's eyes narrowed a bit. "No, but he's out. Let's take him back to his apartment." Akashi was already carrying Kuroko bridal style. As he turned around to walk back to the apartment complex, he instinctively pulled Kuroko closer to his chest.

* * *

Once back inside Kuroko's apartment, Akashi placed the blue-head on his bed, gently tucking him in. He brushed the bangs from Kuroko's face and then sat on the side of the bed. Tracing Kuroko's lips, he felt a sudden temptation but resisted and stood up quietly. He stood for a few moments, watching Kuroko's shallow breaths carry his chest up and down. Sighing, Akashi slowly closed the door as he left Kuroko's room.

The rest of the Kiseki no Sedai were lounged around in the living room. Akashi noted each member's presence. Murasakibara and Midorima sat on one of the two white couches at the back of the room. Kise was lying on the other couch while Aomine sat in a chair next to the window.

Midorima looked up at Akashi. "No one came near the room while you guys were gone." He leaned back into the couch. "I'm surprised though. I wouldn't expect them to act so quickly."

"It's a good thing that Kuroko opened the box today," stated Murasakibara between bites of his bag of chips.

Akashi couldn't agree more. He rubbed his temples in slight irritation. There would be more to explain to Kuroko later. Akashi moved to sit on the arm of the couch Kise was on. "There are five bedrooms in this apartment, including Tetsuya's room."

Kise looked at Akashi. "Does that mean-"

"We can share a room," Aomine cut in. "Kise and I." He sent a sly grin towards the now flustered blonde.

Akashi hid his dismay. _He_ was planning on sharing a room with Kuroko. "That's fine, but we'll need to keep guard tonight." His eyes watched the setting sun through the window. "They may make a move."

Murasakibara got up. "I'll go pick my room first then." He walked past Akashi on his way to the small staircase that led to the second floor of the apartment where all the bedrooms were.

Kise shot up. "No fair Murasakicchi!"

Before he could move though, Aomine grabbed his arm. "Does it really matter, Kise? We'll be sharing a room anyway."

Kise pouted, but let Aomine lead him upstairs.

Akashi's gaze fell on Midorima. "Go ahead, I'll make sure everything is secure here."

Midorima nodded and headed upstairs after the others.

* * *

Akashi made a small and quick round surveying the first floor. He closed the shades of all the windows before turning off all the lights. Using his Emperor's Eye, he saw Kuroko's outline move side to side. Instinctively, Akashi went to the kitchen and got a water bottle from the fridge before ascending the stairs. He walked to Kuroko's room and opened the door quietly.

Kuroko looked up through half-lidded eyes to see Akashi walking towards him. "A-Akashi-san?" mumbled Kuroko. He closed his eyes again in pain from his pounding headache. Beside him, the bed sank from some weight.

"Here, drink some water," Akashi said as he carefully propped Kuroko up into a sitting position.

Kuroko took the water from Akashi. "Thank you, Akashi-san." He sipped the water and then placed it in his lap. "What ha-"

Akashi shushed Kuroko by placing his finger to the other's lips. _Ah, so soft._ "I will explain more tomorrow. For now, just go back to sleep." He took the water bottle from Kuroko and placed it on the bedside table. "You will need your energy come morning."

Kuroko reluctantly followed Akashi's order. He slipped back down into the bed and looked up at Akashi. Akashi began to lean down for a few seconds, but changed his mind. He straightened himself and watched Kuroko with his mismatched eyes.

"Goodnight, Tetsuya," Akashi said in a low whisper.

Kuroko closed his eyes and heard footsteps shuffling to the door.

"Goodnight, Akashi-san."

* * *

Shout out to all my AWESOME reviewers, followers, favoriters, and silent readers!

Here are some personal thanks!

hitomi65 - I'm glad you think so!

yuimomo - *blushes* That makes me really happy!

Blue-eyed Fox - Yes, *sighs dreamily* it IS something isn't it! That would make for an interesting aspect, actually... And that's why we love him!

Shadow of an Echo - You are flustering me with your compliments! Thank you so much!

devilhornsofsatan - And carry on I shall! *determined face*

alisa chronwelle - No, I thank you for reading! *Shocked expression* How do you know me so well?

Tsuki Aizawa - I adore possessive Akashi too! I hope this was quick enough!

telletha - Interesting!? Thank you!

Everlasting Snow Princess - You think this is interesting too!? *jumps up and down*

Fan de Kuroko - Merci, ma amie! Je espérais tu aimer ce chapitre aussi! Prés de la façon, je ce que ne pas connaître français...

* * *

A/N: Forgive me for any grammar mistakes!

Please R&R if you liked this chapter!

I was really overjoyed when I saw the response to my first chapter! This was just something I wrote on a whim and now with all of your support I am turning this idea into a full-fledged story!

Please continue to support me as I write this story!

And I'm very sorry, but school is coming back...and I don't know when I will be able to update again, which is why I'm bringing all of you this one! Nonetheless, I will try my hardest!


	3. Kicking it at School

Lovely Jewels

Kicking it at School

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Atsushi's Power Profile:

1. Power of Illusion - Can change anything to appear to be a different thing.

2. Telekinesis - Can move objects with mind.

3. Telepathic - Can talk with the rest of the members using the mind and also has a large range of other people's consciouses.

* * *

Kuroko awoke feeling more refreshed than he had in a while. The sun had yet to rise, but waking up extremely early was routine for him. He ran his hand through his hair, already accustomed to it being quite out of sorts. He fingered a cowlick at the top of his head for a few seconds before slipping out of bed. Looking at the clock beside his bed, he saw that it was 5:30. _Ah, just enough time to get ready and make breakfast…for the others._

No, Kuroko did not forget. Trying to believe the unbelievable was amazingly hard, but he managed it. He had a small fear that if he were to freak out, the _Kiseki no Sedai_ might harm him. After seeing them yesterday, it may be just him being skeptical, but they _were_ just jewels in a box! Kuroko decided to just keep his guard up, act like nothing was wrong and…watch for the pervert Akashi.

He exited his room and entered the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower. School was his destination for the day, but he still found himself pondering about what the others would do. _Akashi said they would be going to school with me, but are they really? They _are_ 160 years old…_

He finished up in the bathroom and then went down to the kitchen. He brought a pan down from the rack and placed it on the stove before opening the refrigerator to take out some eggs and radish. Kuroko set forth to chopping up the radishes as he waited for his omelet to cook a little. He was just about to turn around to check on his omelet when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

"Good morning, Tetsuya," Akashi whispered in the light-blue head's ear. He placed his chin on the other's shoulder. "Smells good."

Kuroko let out a sigh. "Akashi-san, the omelet is burning." He moved and Akashi followed him to the stove, arms still secure around his waist.

Kuroko folded the omelet and slid it out of the pan before pouring more egg in it. He felt Akashi's eyes following his hands every movement. Kuroko placed his hands on Akashi's arms and tried to detach himself.

Akashi reluctantly let go and headed to the cupboard. "I'll get some natto to go with our breakfast," Akashi said, smiling at Kuroko. He brought out the beans and proceeded to place them in a bowl.

Kuroko looked at Akashi through his peripheral vision. He would not deny the fact that the redhead was attractive, but they were both _guys_! Kuroko finished up the omelets as the rest of the Kiseki no Sedai trailed in. Placing the plates on the table, he gestured for the others to take a seat.

"Kuroko! It looks so good!" Kise said cheerfully as he took a seat at the table.

The other three followed suit. Akashi stood next to Kuroko who was leaning on the counter with a bowl of rice in hand. He looked down at Kuroko and took the bite from the light-blue head's chopsticks right before Kuroko could get the food himself.

Kuroko looked at the satisfied redhead and pouted a bit. "Akashi-san, there's a bowl for you on the table." He held his bow away from the other male.

"It taste better though," Akashi replied a little childishly. He turned back to the others who were watching the two with a smile. "Atsushi, you will be attending school with Tetsuya," Akashi stated, returning to his more mature self. "The rest of you and I will be scouting the area."

Murasakibara looked discontented with the fact that he would be the only one suffering through school. He settled his feelings by taking another serving of rice. He looked up, feeling Akashi's gaze on him.

_Protect him, Atsushi,_ Akashi said to Murasakibara using their telepathic communication. _They already know where he is going to be._

Murasakibara nodded before going back to eating.

Kuroko placed his bowl in the sink and walked out of the kitchen, knowing a certain someone would follow him. He went up the stairs to his room to get his bag before leaving. Just as he thought, Akashi entered the room right after him.

"Is there something you needed?" Akashi asked, watching Kuroko pick up his bag from the chair in front of his desk. He closed the door and leaned on it. "After getting me all alone with you."

Kuroko sent Akashi a small glare. "Why do I need to be protected?" Kuroko inquired, getting straight to the point and ignoring whatever Akashi was implying. "And the attack yesterday. What was that all about?" _That Haizaki person, who was he? _ Kuroko asked silently to himself.

Akashi crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Tetsuya, you are a very special person," he said with sincerity. He opened one eye to see Kuroko's disbelieving expression. "Not only to me, but to others as well." He saw that Kuroko wanted more, since he was silent and staring at him. _Well, I might as well have fun with this._ He pushed off from the door and approached Kuroko, forcing the other to take a couple of steps back until the back of his knees hit the bed.

Kuroko put up a hand against Akashi's chest as he sat down on the bed. Looking up at the redhead, he questioned the other's actions with his eyes. "Do you need to be so close?"

Akashi chuckled. _So sweet you are Tetsuya, yet so cold._ He placed a hand over the hand that Kuroko had placed on his chest. "I think you'll find this hard to believe," Akashi started to say, "but you have the ability to move through time." He watched Kuroko's eyes widen a bit.

"You're right, I can hardly believe this," Kuroko muttered quietly while looking down at his lap, trying to take in the information. His eyes caught Akashi's as the redhead knelt down on his knees, still holding Kuroko's hand.

Akashi brought Kuroko's hand to the side of his face and pressed it against his cheek. "Take your time to understand, because I will forever be at your side." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to the back of Kuroko's hand. "So why do-"

"Oi! Kuroko! Murasakibara says it's almost time for school!" Aomine said while knocking on the door. "You better hurry up."

Akashi's eyes were narrowed as he looked back at the door. _Aomine, you are going to get more work added to your load,_ he thought with sadistic satisfaction. He grudgingly let go of Kuroko's hand and stood up. Kuroko rose to his feet as well with a light blush dusting his cheeks. He pulled his backpack onto his shoulder before giving Akashi a small bow and then exiting the room.

* * *

"Ne, Kuroko, where are my classes?" Murasakibara asked as they walked through the school gates. He pushed a sheet of paper towards the smaller boy next to him.

Kuroko gave an annoyed look at the purple-haired giant before taking the paper. He looked at it with surprise, but quickly suppressed the emotion. _Of course he would have the same classes as me._ "Murasakibara-san, just follow me."

Murasakibara nodded his head while sucking on his lollipop. His half-lidded eyes looked around at the crowd in a lazy but secretly analytical manner. His telepathic powers surpassed all in the Kiseki no Sedai. He was able to tap into the minds of the people around him effortlessly. Using his ability now, he checked the thoughts of the surrounding students, trying to find anyone with malicious intent. Everyone for right now seemed to pass his inspection.

* * *

Murasakibara let out a loud sigh as he sat down next to Kuroko. The two of them decided to spend their lunch on the rooftop. "It's finally lunch." He pulled out more snacks and immediately started munching on them.

Kuroko gave a sideway glance towards Murasakibara. The childish-giant had not let him leave his sight the entire first half of the day. "You were eating during last period though." He pulled out the bento that Midorima had put together for him. Untying the cloth caused a small note to fall out. He picked up and read:

_Kuroko,_

_ I see Akashi is taking your time this morning, so here is some lunch._

_ …Err, don't get the wrong idea! (_written very quickly)

_ -Midorima_

The note made Kuroko smile, but Murasakibara standing up diverted his attention. He looked up, finding that the effort strained his neck. Murasakibara looked down at him.

"I am going to go buy us some drinks, Kuroko," Murasakibara yawned out. He walked away, but did a quick mind check on everyone in the current area. He still felt a bit unsettled, though and sped up his pace.

* * *

The purple-haired giant stood in front of the vending machine, trying to make a quick decision in which type of drink to buy. Usually, he did not have this problem. His finger hovered over the numbers two and eight.

"Hey, are you going to buy a drink?"

Murasakibara twisted around to see a short black-haired student looking up at him. Confusion flitted into his eyes when the student smiled at him. Murasakibara looked back at the vending machine only to see a finger press the number two for him. The machine let out a series of clank and the other student took the can from the dispenser before holding it up to Murasakibara.

"I am Himuro Tatsuya," the student greeted. "You are the new student right? It's a pleasure to meet you."

Murasakibara looked at Himuro with a little surprise. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the shorter guy looked _pretty._ He took the drink and cocked his head to the side a bit, not sure of what to make about Himuro.

Himuro let out a small laugh. "I'm sure you will like that flavor, it's one of my favorites."

Before Murasakibara could mutter a thank you, his mind sensed evil intent…towards Kuroko. He pushed the drink into a shocked Himuro's hand and began sprinting towards the stairs. He faintly heard Himuro calling out to him.

* * *

Kuroko's shoulders tensed as he felt an unmistakable gaze fall upon him. He coolly lifted his head a bit and gave a small scan around the rooftop. Seeing no one, he looked back down at his lunch, but the feeling did not go away. He put his lunch down to the side and focused on disappearing. _Let's go Kuroko,_ he said to himself as he forcibly lowered his presence even more. Once doing so he crept to the building where the staircases started, hiding behind it and looking around. He didn't have to wait long, however.

"Shit! Where did he go?"

"I don't fucking know! You were supposed to be watching him! I look away for one se-"

"Don't blame this on me!"

Suddenly the staircase doors slammed open as Murasakibara came running through. He looked around for Kuroko, to find that he was not in the spot where he had left them. His mind did a conscious check and he was relieved to find that Kuroko was at least still here.

"Murasakibara-san," Kuroko whispered tentatively. He saw Murasakibara turn around.

"There, now, shoot him!"

Murasakibara dove towards Kuroko and surrounded his body with his own. He heard an almost silent shot, but thankfully, his other ability came in handy. Using his mind, he stopped the tranquilizer that was heading straight towards them. He sent the needle backwards on its path. His eyes flashed bright purple as he used illusion to create the image that he and Kuroko disappeared.

Looking down at Kuroko, he whispered, "Are you alright?" He looked around, checking the minds of the ones responsible for this mess, but he sensed another mind…Himuro!?

Kuroko sensed Murasakibara's urgency and quickly stood up, still surrounded by the giant's arms. The two moved silently to the door before opening it a bit. They heard footsteps hurrying up the steps.

"Murasakibara-san?" Himuro called out.

Murasakibara immediately tensed as he sensed the bad guy's mind taking note of Himuro's voice. He ushered Kuroko inside before closing the door, just in time to catch sight of Himuro. Murasakibara made his illusion disappear.

Himuro smiled as he spotted the two. "Ah, so this is where you went." He took another glance at Kuroko before fully noticing him and the arm that Murasakibara had around Kuroko. "You two already seem close."

Kuroko awkwardly brushed Murasakibara's hand off, unsure of why the situation was so unsettling. He bowed toward Himuro before descending the stairs, leaving Murasakibara alone with the other student. Himuro watched Kuroko leave before starting to turn himself.

"Well, I guess I shou-" Himuro started to say.

"Why did you come after me?" Murasakibara asked innocently. He was genuinely curious as to why this human chose to follow him. His unmoving gaze caused the other to sweat a bit.

"Well, when you just ran off without your drink, I figured something was up," Himuro said while scratching his cheek. He met Murasakibara's eyes and gave him a small smile.

"Oh," Murasakibara said, not knowing what else to say.

Himuro held out a drink to Murasakibara. "I'm sorry, I don't know if it's cold anymore, but it's yours." He let the giant take the drink before adding, "Let's go hang out some time."

Murasakibara took the drink with a happy smile. He looked at Himuro who looked away nervously. "Ah, thank you, Muro-chin."

Himuro looked back at Murasakibara with a small blush on his cheeks, but he managed to keep his cool act. "No problem, Atsushi."

* * *

Murasakibara took the chance to tell Akashi ahead of time of the incident that occurred at the school. Although Akashi seemed to take it rather well, Murasakibara had the feeling that Akashi was very mad. He and Kuroko entered the elevator that would take them to their floor.

"Thank you Murasakibara-san for today," Kuroko said in a monotone voice. He pulled out a chocolate bar he had from his bag and handed it to Murasakibara.

Murasakibara took the chocolate bar and petted Kuroko's head.

The two rode the rest of the elevator ride in comfortable silence.

Once the two entered the apartment, however, their peace was put to an end. Midorima immediately came out and pulled Kuroko aside to check for injuries. This annoyed Murasakibara who said that Kuroko was fine.

Midorima placed both hands on Kuroko's shoulders. "Okay, Murasakibara's right, you are fine." He let his arms dropped to his sides as he turned to walk away. "But I had to make sure for Akashi-san."

Kuroko hid a smile.

Kise took this moment to jump-hug Kuroko. "We're so glad you're safe!"

Aomine pulled Kise off before looking at Kuroko. "You should go to your room, Akashi is waiting for you."

Kuroko nodded and walked up the stairs, somewhat slowly. _Is Akashi-san mad?_ He opened his door and called out, "Aka-"

He was cut off by being pulled into a tight embrace. Kuroko let out a small sigh. He slowly wrapped his arms around Akashi to return the hug. The tension from Akashi's body gradually dissipated. He let a few more moments of silence pass by before saying, "I'm okay, Akashi-san."

Akashi nodded against Kuroko's neck. "I know, but I can't help but worry. We were dealing with others-no," Akashi said, abruptly stopping himself. "I won't make excuses when it comes to your safety."

Kuroko was a bit stunned by Akashi's words. _We barely know each other, yet he cares so much._ He closed his eyes and decided he would learn more from the Kiseki no Sedai later. He knew he had some sort of time travel power, but he knew not of why the other five were obliged to protect him.

"Akashi-san, when will you let go," Kuroko asked, trying to hide the fact that the redhead's warmth was starting to become addicting. Now that he thought about it, whenever he came in contact with Akashi it was warm.

"Never," Akashi murmured in a serious tone. To prove this, he pulled in Kuroko as close as possible.

Kuroko decided the only way to get out of this was to use force. He raised his hand and somewhat gently tapped Akashi's head, causing the redhead to let out a chuckle. Kuroko felt Akashi drop his hands to his waist and now Kuroko was at least able to look at Akashi. Akashi stared warmly into Kuroko's blank gaze.

"What was that?" Akashi asked with a teasing smile. He eyed Kuroko's stomach.

"That was…my stomach," Kuroko replied, trying to keep a blush from invading his facial features.

Akashi finally let go of Kuroko, leaving the light-blue head to feel the obvious absence of warmth. "Come then, I won't let you starve. I believe Shintarou made something to eat." He held out his hand to Kuroko.

Kuroko looked at the hand before walking past it.

Akashi smiled and followed after Kuroko.

_Just what am I getting myself into?_

* * *

Thank you for everyone's support with this story!

Personal thanks:

hitomi65 - Thank you again for your review and compliment!

Shadow of an Echo - *big time blushing* Thank you so much! I will still work very hard to make the next chapters good as well! I think I will be showcasing their powers one by one if I can help it! I'm excited as well to introduce his side of the story, though it may take a couple of more chapters to get to that point. Thank you for your patience!

Aiko Namikara - Do not worry about your English! Even if you wrote in German I would try to understand your review! Thank you for your interest in my story and the compliments!

telletha - I would totally envy him too! Yes, Akashi will always find a way, haha! Well, I will just say that Kuroko's power is going to be pretty different from the other five. Thank you and thank you for leaving a review!

Kuroyuri-san - I am just happy that you like the story! I actually wrote a small plot for this last year...when I was just writing down some story ideas, but I really didn't think much about this one. Then I started playing the AC series and I fell in love with that too! I really wanted to start writing and was suddenly inspired by the previous little snippet I wrote about this and I asked my bro with help with creating the plot and together we came up with this story!

MissSexyRain - Wow! Thank you for the reviews! Ah I apologize! Looking back I totally realized that you are right, so I tried to add something in this chapter to explain more of Kuroko's actions and how he's taking this! Thank you for pointing this out! And I want to explain more and more with each chapter, but I assure you the next chapter will have more answers! I'm sorry, and thank you!

Liz1569 - Here is the next one! Thank you for the review!

* * *

Thank you everyone for your patience and if you like please drop a review!

Also, I am open to any constructive criticism or you know, if you see anything wrong, don't be afraid to tell me. If you need to be a bit harsh, I'm okay with that too! I will work hard to make this story worthy of your time!

So, I managed to get this done within the week...while writing a research essay...but I think I will try to update at least once a week!

I hope the story isn't too confusing either!

Thank you again!


	4. Coming with Information

Lovely Jewels

Coming with Information

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Kuroko and Murasakibara arrive to the apartment after a, thankfully, uneventful day. The two have slowly bonded over the week of school to the point where Murasakibara decided to give Kuroko a nickname. Lately, the people who have been trying to obtain Kuroko have left him alone. Kuroko shook his head a little, feeling as if the past week and his new roommates were all part of a surreal dream that he was about to wake up from.

"Tadaima," Kuroko called out softly as he and Murasakibara put their shoes away. He passed the giant and headed into to the kitchen.

Akashi looked up when Kuroko walked in, followed shortly after by Murasakibara. He and the rest of the members of the Kiseki no Sedai were already gathered in the kitchen. Kuroko took one look around before taking a seat at the island. He silently thanked Midorima who handed him a cup of tea. Murasakibara stood at the doorway, already informed of today's discussion by Akashi.

"So," Kuroko said before he took a sip of tea. "What is happening?" He immediately looked to Akashi for an explanation.

Instead Midorima took a step forward and placed a piece of paper in front of Kuroko. Kuroko picked up the paper and silently read the word that was on it. _Planaedius?_ He looked at Midorima with a confused expression.

"This is the organization that wants your powers," Midorima answered while pushing up his glasses. His green eyes looked at his taped fingers. "Before, they were known as the Planaedian Order."

Kuroko's eyes opened a bit wider as a memory suddenly hit him. _How could I forget about them?_ "But Planaedius…is the environmental company," Kuroko said quietly.

"What? Environmental? Those guys?" Kise asked in a disbelieving tone. "Is that what they decided to come up with to hide who they really are?" He threw a look at Aomine while chuckling a little.

Kuroko shook his head. "Yeah, they are really famous for all the help they've given to improving the environment," Kuroko stated. He paused for a moment before adding, "Why would they want me?"

Akashi was feeling apprehensive so he moved closer to Kuroko and took the seat next to him. He looked back at Midorima. _You can go ahead and tell him._

Midorima let out a sigh, catching Kuroko's attention. "Like I said before, this _Planaedius_, existed before as the Planaedian Order. Back then their goal was to rule the world using their influence and some other human hybrids they have." He leaned back against the counter, placing his elbows on it as well.

"However," Akashi cut in, bringing Kuroko's gaze to rest on him. "There were, let's just say _guardian_ families, that were formed to prevent the Planaedian Order from achieving their goal." Akashi waited a few moments before continuing. "These guardian families are elite human hybrids that are recognized for being stronger than other human hybrids."

"You guys are…" Kuroko said quietly as he dropped Akashi's gaze.

"Yes us," Midorima picked up. "You were not the only to have time traveling powers, Kuroko. Some of your ancestors had this power and it must have been passed down to you. Other families have also been the recipients of the time traveling ability though. It takes turns." He turned around and opened a cupboard before pulling out a stack of plates. "The Planaedian Order found out about the type of power your family and the others had, of course, and then saw how valuable it was."

Kuroko watched Midorima take out something from the fridge. "How would they even use the time traveling power?" Kuroko questioned.

Midorima cut a slice of cake and put it on the plate. He walked over to Kuroko and handed it to him before going back and cutting pieces for the others. "They wanted to use the time traveling powers to go back in time and destroy the guardian families before they came into power."

Kuroko quietly thanked Midorima for the cake. "Where are your guys' families?" Kuroko peeked at Akashi whose expression suddenly darkened.

"Our purpose as the guardian families is to protect the time traveler at all costs," Akashi said dryly. "Our families are either hiding…or dead."

The kitchen fell into an uncomfortable silence with Akashi's words. Kuroko's body tensed up and he slowly put down his fork, the cake going stale in his mouth as he carefully chewed and swallowed it. Midorima glared at Akashi and mentally clucked his tongue. Kise was looking distraught until Aomine threw a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"Sacrfices are needed in our line of work," Midorima said, breaking the silence. "It's nothing to worry about Kuroko." He handed out plates to everyone else.

Kuroko looked up at Midorima with newfound respect for the greenhead. _Ah, there is something that I needed to ask._ Kuroko found that Midorima was expecting questions and was watching him carefully. "Do you know someone named Shogō Haizaki?"

Akashi clenched his fists upon hearing that name. "Why are you asking?" Akashi inquired using a calm, but strained voice.

Kuroko looked at Akashi with a puzzled expression. "The attack from before, Haizaki-san was the one who I went out to meet." Kuroko closed his eyes at his foolishness. "I'm pretty sure he planned that attempted kidnapping."

"No wonder he looked so familiar!" Kise blurted out.

Akashi turned to look at the blonde, obviously none to happy. "I did not hear of this, Ryouta." His eyes moved over Aomine as well.

Kise sweat-dropped and held up his hands in defense. "I-I wasn't too sure, Akashicchi! I swear!"

"You're on the right track," Midorima interrupted. "However, Haizaki didn't plan the kidnapping, Planaedius did."

Kuroko arched his brow at the name again. "Haizaki-san works for Planaedius."

"Precisely," Midorima said. He pinched the bridge of his noise. "He's also a…human hybrid."

Kuroko's head snapped up in surprise at those words. _But he looked around my age…but then so do you guys…_

* * *

"Did you find the name of the president, Shintarou?" Akashi inquired. He pulled out a map of the city and laid it across the living room table.

"Of Planaedius? No, not yet," Midorima said while letting out a heavy sigh. "I found the one they use for the media though, but he knows nothing about their true purpose." He stood next to Akashi and surveyed the map. He brought out a pink pen with a cute frog on top. "Here, I'll circle all the areas they have control over."

Murasakibara stared at the pen. "Ne, Mido-chin. Is that your lucky item for today?" He crumpled up the wrapper from his now finished candy bar and put it into his pocket to dispose of later.

Midorima nodded, already immersed in making perfect lines on the map. Most of the entire map was circled or highlighted. Akashi looked at the markings with dismay. _How could they have-oh, yes. I was trapped as a jewel for about 20 or so years. _He stood up and brushed past Midorima who was checking the map for inaccuracies. Midorima looked down as Akashi passed.

"You start the planning with the others," Akashi said, pausing in his steps. "I am going to go check on Tetsuya."

* * *

Kuroko slowly scribbled numbers on his paper as he tried to find the value of this wretched _x._ His numbers were starting to look a bit off so he looked back at his work only to find that he had forgotten to carry a negative sign. Mentally face-palming himself, he set to work to erasing all his markings. His rough erasing was interrupted by a knock on his door. Kuroko turned around just in time to see Akashi slip in.

Akashi silently closed the door behind him before looking at Kuroko. From his short observations he could tell that his light-blue head was in a state of agitation. He glanced at Kuroko's hand that was tightly gripping his pencil before spotting the worksheet laid across Kuroko's desk. He walked over while saying, "Ah, let me help you, Tetsuya."

Kuroko blinked a couple of times. "That's not necessary." He turned back around only to feel Akashi pressed against his back as the redhead's arms were placed on either side of him on the desk.

"Let's see," Akashi murmured in Tetsuya's ear. "You want to take both sides of the equation to the third power first." He could not see Kuroko's face, but Akashi could tell that he was surprised.

Kuroko silently did as Akashi said. After that he managed to solve the rest of the problem on his own. His grip now loose on his pencil, he decided to ask Akashi a question. "Akashi-san, why are you helping me?"

Akashi arched a brow. "I'm not following Tetsuya."

Kuroko let the pencil slip from his hand. "You are just supposed to protect me," he said in a quiet voice. "You don't need to do anything else."

Akashi felt a small pang of hurt in his chest but pushed it away. _It must have been what I said earlier._ "It is my job to protect you, Tetsuya," Akashi said as he moved his hands to hold Kuroko's. "That much is correct." He spread Kuroko's fingers so that he could entwine his own with the smaller male's. "But you're wrong when you say that I don't need to do anything else." Akashi gave Kuroko's hands a gentle squeeze before letting go and backing up.

Kuroko turned around to see what Akashi was doing only to be met with the other's face dangerously close to his. He steeled his emotions and the stirring feeling that Akashi's warmth was causing him. "Please stop harassing me, Akashi-san."

Akashi smirked and the corner of his eyes crinkled a bit. "That won't do, Tetsuya." He moved his face a bit closer. "The things I do that do not count as protecting you are done because," Akashi started as he watched Kuroko slightly tilt his head to the side in curiosity. "I love you."

Kuroko frowned before pushing Akashi away. His heart was beating fast at the other's words, but he was unsure of why. "Don't play games with me," Kuroko stated bluntly. He turned back to his desk and picked up his pencil before forcing himself on to the next question. "Saying such words so easy like that," Kuroko muttered under his breath.

"Tetsuya," Akashi said with a small hint of annoyance. _If he can't accept my feelings right now, I will have to play this one off,_ Akashi thought in a depressed way. "I am your guardian and you are my time traveler."

Kuroko paused in his writing, silently giving Akashi the "go on."

"This counts with the other guardians as well," Akashi continued. "The stronger our bond is to you, the stronger our powers become." He let the information sink in for a few moments before adding, "This is why I need to be close to you."

This time Kuroko felt a throb of hurt, but these pains and emotions still confused him. _Is that why he's been acting so close? _Kuroko thought_._ He started writing again. "We can bond later then."

Akashi watched as Kuroko went back to writing for a few moments before leaving the room. Irritated he ran a hand through his hair as he moved to descend the stairs. _I will work on Tetsuya later._

* * *

OMAKE:

Zombie Apocalypse?

"Atsushi, what are you doing?" Himuro asked as he watched the purple-giant stacking boxes full of snacks on top of each other.

Murasakibara put another box on the stack before turning to look at Himuro. "I'm preparing," he replied and then returned to his work.

Himuro looked at the clock in the classroom, hoping that Kuroko would return soon. _Did he get caught up with his other friends on the way to the bathroom?_ He listened to the sound of cardboard against cardboard for a few moments longer. "For what?"

Murasakibara topped off his stack first before providing an answer. "The zombie apocalypse."

Himuro stopped himself from face-palming. "My friends," Himuro started, "please do not listen to them." He cracked a small amused smile. "Please."

Murasakibara gave Himuro a shocked look, but allowed the shorter male to drag him away from his snacks and out of the room.

"Let's go find Kuroko-san, Atushi."

* * *

OMAKE 2:

School and Snacks and Snacks and Snacks

Kuroko's eyes were closed as he leaned back against his chair. It was finally lunch and that meant a nice break. His brows furrowed as he heard a plopping sound before hearing another. Opening his eyes he watched as an assortment of snacks fell onto his desk.

"Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko said as he looked up at the purple-giant. "I am not eating all of that."

Murasakibara threw more chips in his mouth. He chewed and stared at the tiny blue-head. "Aka-chin says you need to eat more." He dropped a few more snacks on Kuroko's desk.

Kuroko shook his head. "That is too much, Murasakibara-kun." He pushed the food back towards the opposite end of the desk.

"Kuro-chin."

Kuroko looked up. "Ye-"

Kuroko glared at Murasakibara with a chocolate bar in his mouth. He pouted a bit before giving in and eating the food that he was force-fed.

"Good Kuro-chin."

* * *

OMAKE 3:

Silent Playing

Midorima stared at the checkered board in front of him. He put a hand to his chin and silently analyzed the board. _If I move that piece than I could do that…_ He sat back and moved a piece before looking back up at Akashi.

Akashi looked down at the board before moving a piece that dominated Midorima's. The redhead looked slowly up at Midorima with a smirk. _I win._

Midorima openly glared at his opponent.

* * *

OMAKE 4:

Things that go on in Aomine's and Kise's Room

"Aominecchi!" Kise cried out. Sweat dotted his forehead as he curled his toes in pain. "Too hard, too hard!"

Aomine let out a loud and annoyed sigh. "Suck it up and just go with it," he replied in a gruff voice. He dug in deeper, feeling Kise's muscles tighten up. He rolled his eyes. "You are supposed to be getting looser, Kise."

Tears filled the corner of the blonde's eyes. "Do it softer, Aominecchi!" He tried to move his arms, but Aomine pushed down on his shoulders. "Aominecchi!"

Aomine let out a groan and pulled back. "Fine! We're done!" He got off the bed and stood over Kise. "Feeling better?"

Kise sat up on his knees as both of his hands went to rub his _shoulders._ "Ah!" Kise widened his eyes in surprise. "The soreness is gone!" He rolled his shoulders back and then forward a couple of times. "Thank you Aominecchi!" Kise said as he beamed at the taller male.

* * *

Yet again, thank you for everyone's support!

Personal thanks to:

hitomi65 - Ah, thank you once again!

Aiko Namikara - Thank you, thank you, thank you! I guess, and I will probably plan something along the lines of that for a future chapter! I am planning on adding in Satsuki soon...probably! I'm happy you love this fic!

cristianamartinsb - Thank you and I will! Ah, I'm happy you like the AkaKuro fluff!

Shadow of an Echo - *faints from giddiness* Reading your review really...REALLY made me extremely happy! Yes! I will be bringing Takao in! Ah, your faith in me...I am smiling right now! Okay, I promise to be more confident! I, myself, can't wait to introduce their powers too! I have the warm fuzzy feeling everywhere! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Sakamaki Hikaru - You too? Me too! I ship them so much!

thecoldforest - Yes, come to the AkaKuro side! Haha, I don't ship KagaKuro, but I think they're a cute pairing! Thank you for the review!

Kuroikun - I'm happy it's growing on you!

MissSexyRain - Yes, yes he does! It's been lying (and still is) dormant. I hope this chapter will answer some of your questions!

Liz1569 - Thank you and here it is!

* * *

I hope this chapter was satisfying, though it was a bit shorter I would say...

And I hope that the omakes were okay and that the last one let your imagination run! *wink wink*

I really don't have anything else to say...because all of you have made me speechless with your support! Of course though, constructive criticism is always welcomed too!


	5. Trapped or Secure?

Lovely Jewels

Trapped or Secure?

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Midorima's Power Profile:

Ultimate Healing - heals wounds/injuries by just thinking about it; works externally and internally

Immunity Pills - ability to create pills that provide recipient with immunity from any injury for a certain amount of time (really depends on power of creator and user)

Telepathic - can talk with the rest of the members using the mind

* * *

Kuroko idly rolled a pencil back and forth on his desk. He let out a long sigh and stopped rolling his pencil. He pushed his chair back and abruptly stood up. _I am bored and I have seriously had enough,_ Kuroko thought bitterly.

After the Kiseki no Sedai discovered that Planaedius was after Kuroko, they stepped up the security around him. Kuroko's life consisted of going to school on the weekdays and staying at the apartment during the weekends. He was not allowed to go elsewhere unless one of the Kiseki no Sedai came with him. Kuroko was tired and frustrated with this development. To top all of this off, Akashi's infuriating presence was very much absent. Kuroko has only seen glimpses of him every now and then, but the two haven't had a decent conversation since the last incident. Kuroko thought that they would try to at least _bond._

He slowly opened the door to his room and peeked out. He couldn't see anyone, not that his roommates were around much nowadays either. Like Akashi, they were busy slowly undoing Planaedius' power. Kuroko was sure that he was a part of this entire situation, but he was excluded from any missions or planning. He crept out and silently descended the stairs, stopping at the very bottom when he heard Kise and Aomine talking.

* * *

"Isn't Akashicchi working too hard?" Kise asked as he opened a cupboard to take out a plate. "Plus he hasn't even been talking to Kuroko lately either." He took out another plate after glancing at Aomine.

"You know just as well as I do why he's doing what he has been," Aomine replied. He took the plate that Kise gave him, nodding his thanks. "I just don't know why Planaedius hasn't done anything. They know where Kuroko is and they know his schedule, I'm sure."

* * *

Kuroko snuck passed the kitchen, lowering his presence. He mulled over what he heard before managing to get out the front door. His body's tension melted away only to return after hearing a familiar voice.

"Kuroko, what are you doing out here?"

Kuroko turned around with a blank and somewhat innocent expression. He saw Midorima looking down at him through his spectacles. "Going for a walk," Kuroko finally said in a perfect monotone voice.

Midorima pushed up his glasses. "Without one of us?" he asked in an annoyed tone with a hint of worry. "Akashi would murder us." He moved to take Kuroko's arm, but was interrupted by another person.

"Ah, hey neighbor!" a male voice greeted.

Both Kuroko and Midorima looked up to see a friendly man waving at the two of him. He had long straight black hair with the bangs pulled back. Midorima backed up a bit as the other man began approaching.

He held out his hand to Kuroko first. "I'm Takao Kazanari, your neighbor!" After shaking his hand Takao offered his hand to Midorima who looked at it with disdain. While still holding out his hand he turned back towards Kuroko. "I mean I heard that you moved in, it's just that I never saw you! There was rumor that my neighbor was a ghost!" Takao continued while laughing.

Midorima grudgingly took Takao's hand, shaking it lightly and quickly before pulling away. He looked at Kuroko and could tell that this was the _actual_ first meeting between the two.

"Ah, it is nice to meet you, Takao-san. I am Kuroko Tetsuya," Kuroko replied calmly. He gave Midorima a quick glance. "This is my roommate Midorima Shintarou."

Takao smiled up at the greenhead. "I didn't know you were moving in with Kuroko-kun too! I guess moving in with friends is always more fun." He gave Midorima the once-over, making note of the white lab coat he had on. "Are you a doctor or something?"

Midorima visibly puffed up his chest. "Yes, I am actually," he answered while pushing his glasses up his nose. "I am working on a new pill right now."

Kuroko watched the interaction between his guardian and neighbor, seeing a chance for him to escape. Takao was animatedly moving his hands while asking questions to Midorima. Although Midorima seemed annoyed, Kuroko could tell that he was happy with the inquiries. He watched the two as he carefully backed down the hallway, lowering his presence once again. Kuroko backed himself around the corner and quickly turned to run to the elevator.

Once in the elevator and safely descending, Kuroko pulled out his phone to see that a close friend of his had texted him. Kuroko found that a small smile appeared on his face as he opened the text to read it. Surprise was the next emotion to fill his face for a brief moment.

_To: Kuroko_

_Hey, I'm home from America! Meet me at the burger place if you're not busy!_

_From: Kagami-kun_

The elevator doors opened and Kuroko stepped out. He sent a quick reply back to Kagami and then exited the building. Although he was "free" he looked over his shoulder nervously.

* * *

Takao was grinning happily. "So, if I ever get hurt, I'll just ask you to kiss my wound," he said in a jokingly manner. He watched Midorima flush a bit.

"Hmph," Midorima said while turning away slightly. "I would probably close the door on you." He heard Takao start cracking up. Before he could say anything though, Midorima finally noticed a missing person. He looked around him, not seeing the short blue-head.

Takao noticed that Midorima had become distracted and then finally remembered that he had to be somewhere. "Ah, sorry for taking up your time, _Shin-chan_!" He scratched the back of his head and added, "I have to go do something, so I'll see you around!" With that he turned and left Midorima alone.

Midorima nodded, obviously surprised with the sudden nickname, but hurriedly entered the apartment. He looked for Kuroko's shoes and found that, of course, they were gone. He heard Aomine and Kise in the kitchen and briskly walked in to the room. He was a bit panicked when the other two noticed him. However before either Kise or Aomine could speak Midorima came over and picked up Kise's arm.

"You're hurt," Midorima said bluntly. He let out a drawn out sigh as Aomine gave Kise a concerned look.

"You were injured?" Aomine asked while frowning. "Don't be an idiot, tell someone," Aomine bit out a bit angrily.

Kise gave Aomine a weak smile before letting Midorima properly see his arm. "It's nothing really, I just slipped up when I was fighting a squad of Planaedius members." He winced a bit as Midorima turned his arm.

Midorima stared at Kise's arm for a few seconds before letting it go. "It's healed." He watched Kise flex it a bit.

"Thank you, Midorimacchi!" Kise said, quite happy. His expression turned serious though. "You were worried about something, right?"

Aomine caught on and nodded while allowing his gaze to fall on the greenhead. "Yeah, what's up?"

Midorima brought a hand to cover part of his face. "Kuroko's gone."

Kise's and Aomine's eyes widened visibly.

"Gone!?" they both cried out as they jumped to their feet.

Midorima nodded. "We have to go look for him," he said as he immediately started leaving the kitchen. "If any of you can get in contact with Murasakibara, then tell him about Kuroko's absence as well. I'm going to go head out first." Midorima hurried out, sending the others a quick mental message to _not _tell Akashi of this development.

* * *

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko called out, hiding a smile as he did so.

The short blue-head watched as his friend jolted forward, spitting out his drink as he did so. Kagami looked at his now drenched burgers and glared at his friend who was standing next to him. Kuroko returned the glare with a blank but slightly amused expression.

"You always do this!" Kagami said crossly. "I'm going to die of a heart attack one day!" Kagami said the last part quieter as he noticed that others were beginning to stare.

"I have been calling out to you this whole time, Kagami-kun," Kuroko replied calmly. "If you die, you die of your own ignorance." He was internally happy when he saw his friend shoot him another glare. It was good to hang out after being cooped up and watched for so long.

Kagami stood up and tried vainly to clean up the mess he made, but gave up and stepped out of the booth. "Come on, we are going to see the others." He started walking, followed by Kuroko.

"Have you seen them recently?" Kagami asked. The others have noted Kuroko's absence from their daily activities and were of course worried. So was Kagami. After all, he and Kuroko were close friends.

"At school, yes," Kuroko replied carefully. He peered at Kagami from the corner of his eye. "My father has just given me extra work regarding company matters so I haven't been able to go out much," Kuroko lied flawlessly.

Kagami blinked a couple of times. He laughed as relief flowed through his body. "Of course! I keep forgetting you're the son of a big CEO!" Kagami said as they continued walking past small shops next to the street. "Well, you better not get too busy though, because I heard Satsuki has been looking for you."

Kuroko was relieved and happy that Kagami fell for the lie. "I'm sure Momoi will be fine," Kuroko replied. He hoped the others would fall for his lie too, since they were going to meet up with them. He and Kagami caught each other's gazes before smiling and bumping fists.

* * *

Akashi's eyes were narrowed as he watched Kuroko and the _other _redhead walk down the street. His eyes searched the crowd below, trying to spot a member of the Kiseki no Sedai. He leaned against the pillar in front of him as he continued to gaze down upon the time traveler. Akashi's Emperor Eye marked both Kuroko and the other male, deeming them both allies. _What are you doing, Tetsuya? _Akashi moved behind the pillar and quickly disappeared.

* * *

"Kagami! Kuroko!"

Kagami looked forward to see a girl with short brown hair waving at him and Kuroko. Behind her stood two men, one of them was wearing glasses. Kagami smiled and started waving back.

"Riko-san!" Kagami called back as he jogged over to meet them.

Kuroko started jogging as well but just as he stopped in front of Riko, she reached out and roughly put her hand on his head. "I-Itai, Riko-san," Kuroko managed to get out despite the sudden pain. He instinctively left his hands at his sides, not wanting to anger Riko any more.

Riko smiled evilly down at Kuroko. "You think you can skip out on hanging with your friends and go unharmed?" Riko asked, still smiling while a dark aura flowed out of her.

Kagami and the other guys collectively sweat-dropped. Watching their short friend get scolded was already sending shivers down their spines. Kagami turned to the guy with glasses and gave him a look.

"Hyuuga-san, do something or his head will explode!" Kagami whispered harshly.

Just at that moment Riko release the pressure she was putting on Kuroko's head and brought him in for a hug. "That's what you get for making us all worry!"

Kuroko, feeling a bit dizzy just nodded his head. He was released from the hug as quickly as he was brought in. The hairs on the back of his neck rose slightly and Kuroko twisted around. He looked confusedly around him. _I felt like someone was there…_ Kuroko shook his head. They were surrounded by people, of course _someone_ would be looking at the commotion the group was causing.

Hyuuga looked over at his buddy. "Izuki, you said there was something you wanted to show us?" He glanced at Riko and then at Kuroko. "Hey, Kuroko, is there something wrong?"

Kuroko turned to look at Hyuuga before hastily blinking. "Uh, nothing is wrong, Hyuuga-san." He suddenly remembered that Midorima was probably looking for him…along with the others. Falling deep into thought, Kuroko barely noticed that the other four were beginning to walk away. _I can't explain the Kiseki no Sedai to my friends…_

"Kuroko!"

Kuroko's head snapped upon hearing his name. His friends were all facing him with concerned expressions, expectantly waiting for him to catch up. He bowed slightly before saying, "I actually have to get back now. It was nice seeing you guys."

The four looked shocked. Kagami strode right back to Kuroko and immediately felt the short male's forehead. He pulled his hand away and stared down at Kuroko. "Well, you're not running a fever, I'll give you that," Kagami said, trying to make light of the situation. His shoulders slumped forward a bit as he looked down. "If you have to go, we're okay with it." Kagami met Kuroko's eyes. "Go make your parents proud!"

Kuroko replied with a small but grateful smile. He silently held up a fisted hand, waiting for Kagami to meet it. Kagami quickly bumped fists with his short friend before turning around to catch up with the others who were waiting. He turned to look over his shoulder and waved.

* * *

Akashi watched the exchange in silent annoyance mixed in with the beginnings of anger. His fists clenched and unclenched, but he quickly calmed himself down. Kuroko was not in danger and he knew that. Kagami gave off a blue aura when marked with his Emperor's Eye and his eyes were never wrong. Akashi decided fun was fun when following his little Tetsuya, but freedom never lasted long. He started to make his way towards the light-blue head.

* * *

Kuroko was a bit disappointed that he turned down his friends, but he knew ditching the Kiseki no Sedai was going to cause problems. He looked around nervously, feeling watched in the crowd that surrounded him even though he knew that the people shouldn't even notice him. The people passed by, busy with their own lives, but why did Kuroko still feel an intense gaze on him? He spotted a shortcut he knew between two buildings and began heading that way. The crowd became less dense and Kuroko let out a breath he did not know he'd been holding. He entered the alleyway, not as alert as he should be.

Kuroko whipped around halfway down the alleyway when he heard some footsteps. However, no one was behind him. He could see people passing by at the entrance though. Just as he was about to turn around a hand covered his mouth and an arm wrapped itself around his neck. Kuroko made muffled screams and jabbed the person in the stomach with his elbow. The person's grip loosened for a moment, giving Kuroko all the time he needed to break away and fall forward. Kuroko scrambled to his feet only to be thrown against the brick wall of the building. He struggled to breathe as a hand put pressure on his throat, but he manage to squint at the person before him.

"Did you miss me, Kuroko_-kun?_"

Kuroko glared at the gray-haired man. The hand around his neck tightened a bit causing Kuroko to push against the wall, the brick digging into his skull. He tried in vain to pry the hand of his throat as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly the pressure disappeared and Kuroko fell to the ground coughing. He held his throat and looked up through blurred vision to see Haizaki smirking down at him. The gray-haired man bent down and grabbed Kuroko's chin before tilting it upward and forcing Kuroko to look at him.

"I can't kill you yet," Haizaki said in a slightly disappointed tone. "Planaedius wants you alive."

Haizaki dropped Kuroko's chin and grabbed him. Throwing the light boy over his shoulder he let out a small chuckle. Kuroko's strength was weakened, but he managed to put up a struggle.

"Those idiots of the Kiseki no Sedai. What are they doing letting you, a weakling, out of their sight?" Haizaki asked mockingly.

He bent his knees and jumped up causing Kuroko's eyes to widen as the floor distanced itself. As Haizaki landed on the top of the building, Kuroko let out a groan of pain. His eyes shut close as he felt Haizaki shifting him on his shoulder.

"Looks like we're going to have company soon," Haizaki muttered. "Those assholes couldn't handle a single member."

Kuroko's ears perked up at the new information. _Member? From the Kiseki no Sedai?_

Haizaki threw Kuroko to the ground, smiling sadistically when Kuroko yelped and rolled to his side in obvious pain. Kuroko looked up and saw dust begin to swirl around Haizaki. The dust sparkled, almost looking pretty.

Haizaki watched Kuroko's blank gaze. "This is ash, Kuroko-kun." He knelt down and grabbed the top of Kuroko's hair, pulling him up. "I wonder what your guardians would do if I made your precious face unrecognizable."

* * *

Thank you everyone for the continued support with the faves, follows, alerts...stuff like that!

Personal thanks to:

Aiko Namikara - I'm happy you thought it was cool! Yes, isn't Kuroko always full of surprises? I have plans for both of them in the future, so please read until then! Thank you for reading!

yukiseijuro - I don't know where you were either, but I'm uber happy that you've found your way to my story! Ah, I just hope he isn't to out of character! Your excitement makes me excited!

Mist455 - Thanks for the love! In return, the next chapter!

Shadow of an Echo - Ah, you are so right! I get so much inspiration from reviewers like you! Really? You think so! Thank you! Please tell me if any of them are acting too out of character! Thank you! First time doing omakes so I was hoping they would be received well! Here is the update! Sorry it was so late!

MissSexyRain - It is isn't it! *raises an eyebrow suggestively* That's good and thanks for reviewing!

BlackAndWhiteRoseWolf - Thank you! Haha, yes that last one...I agree with the complicating of the AkaKuro relationship!

hitomi65 - Thank you!

DisGamerChick - Running wild is a good thing, haha! Right there with you!

* * *

Thank you everyone for reading this chapter!

I am really really sorry! I spent all day at my friends filming for this short (very short) movie we are doing for our LA class! It took way too long, but it was fun! But again, sorry for the late update!

I hope this chapter still meets your guys' expectations though! And I'm really sorry if things seemed rushed!

Thank you for being awesome supporters!


	6. Arguments and a Little of the Past

Lovely Jewels

Arguments and a Little of the Past

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Akashi's Power Profile -

1. Emperor's Eye - used to mark an enemy as ally(blue) or foe(red); also can tell how a person will move before he moves

2. Control over Heat - cause things to set on fire; can warm things/people up or drain warmth

3. Telepathic - Can converse with other members using the mind

* * *

Haizaki's Power Profile -

1. Ash Storm - cause a storm of ash to fill battle area; ash can cut lungs if inhaled

2. ? (Will be introduced later! Want to take a guess?)

3. Move Interference - Throws specific ash at opponent, if ash stops opponent, opponent loses the ability to do whatever move that person was about to do for a certain amount of time depending on how strong they are

* * *

Kuroko found his throat too dry for him to speak and all he could do was grimace at the pain of having his hair roughly pulled. He could feel the wind pick up, whipping his loose hairs around his face. The dust skimming against his skin was becoming more than annoying brushes. They were starting to hurt.

"Come to watch the show?"

Kuroko pushed against Haizaki's hand, eventually causing the gray-haired male to let go. He fell to the ground with a thud, but Kuroko moved himself to a crouching position. His head rose slowly to see Akashi before a kick to his ribs sent him sprawling back to the floor.

Akashi's expression hardened, seeing Kuroko get kicked. His heterochromatic eyes slowly moved to stare Haizaki head on. "I'm here to grant your death wish, Shōgo." He eyed Kuroko for a brief moment, taking note of his labored breathing.

"That's cute, Seijuro," Haizaki retorted. He threw his hands out to the side, causing ash to storm on top of the building. "I hope you can hold your breath," Haizaki called out while laughing. "Or else you might lose your precious lungs."

Akashi smirked, already having marked Haizaki with his Emperor's eye. He followed the red aura easily through the mist of ashes. However, he did realize that Haizaki was right about one thing. He would have to hold his breath, for inhaling the ashes would certainly cut up his lungs.

Kuroko crawled to the edge of the building, pulling his shirt over his nose and mouth. The swirling ash had created small scratches on the skin that was not covered and they were beginning to sting. His blue eyes tried to spot either Akashi or Haizaki, but failed in his attempt. He winced in pain and bent over, slowing curling into the fetal position. _Akashi, I need to help him…_

Akashi heated the air around him, causing the ash to soften and form clumps with each other, falling onto the ground. He wanted to draw out the time he would cause suffering to Haizaki, but there were other pressing matters at hand. His eyes flashed and he began to drain the heat from Haizaki. Smiling with amusement, he watched the red outlined figure of Haizaki fall to the ground. The ash around him was becoming less dense.

Haizaki's eyes were wide as his body shivered uncontrollably. He smiled to himself though when he felt Akashi's presence near him. He centered his focus and in one swift movement shot ash directly at Akashi.

Akashi easily dodged the attack. "Enough with the games Shōgo." Akashi muttered darkly. His eyes deepened in their two separate colors as he continued to pull the heat out of his opponent.

Haizaki forced himself the meet Akashi's steely gaze. "Games?" Haizaki asked in a sarcastic tone. He spat on the ground before narrowing his eyes. "I don't play games." Haizaki's gaze darted toward the side while a confident smirk appeared on his features. "You shouldn't either, Seijuro, if you want to protect that weakling."

"Argh!"

Akashi whipped around to see Kuroko becoming engulfed in a cloud of ash. He immediately began rushing over, ignoring Haizaki. "Don't breathe, Tetsuya!" The ash shot out in spurts at him, which he easily softened. He spared a glance over his shoulder to see Haizaki run away.

"You better be more careful, Seijuro!" Haizaki called as he ran away. "I'll be more than happy to take away the one you love like you once did to me."

Akashi shook his head and using his heat as armor, pushed through the cloud of ash surrounding Kuroko. Although his mind fought to relive memories triggered by the gray-head's words, he pushed them down. Now was not the time to revisit the past.

Kuroko's lungs burned as he continued to hold his breath. The sharp bits of ash created small cuts on his skin that stung with almost unbearable pain. His skin began to feel a comforting warmth as the wind died down and the ash stopped scratching him. His sore body was pulled into a strong embrace.

"Tetsuya, breathe."

Kuroko let out a loud breath before sucking in air, but he began to cough. He held his arms close to his chest as he tried to soften his coughing but to no avail. His lungs were burning and he could tell that Akashi was holding him tighter. He opened his eyes a bit to see Akashi's concerned expression.

"A-Aka-"

"Shhh, Tetsuya," Akashi interrupted while picking Kuroko up and then standing. "Hold on, I will bring you to Shintarou." He started running across the buildings as fast as he could, relying on his super human powers.

Kuroko closed his eyes, not even being able to give Akashi a nod. He felt cool wind blow against him, but Akashi's body kept him warm. He fought against the darkness that was encouraging him to fall into. Kuroko wanted to stay awake. He needed to make sure that Akashi knew he was all right.

Akashi slipped into the apartment after a few more minutes of avoiding others and sneaking along the shadows. He called out to Midorima, giving the order that the greenhead was needed now. Kuroko shifted in his arms a bit, causing the redhead to look down with worry. He hurried to the couch and laid Kuroko down just as the apartment door slammed open. Akashi looked up to see Midorima rush into the living room, sweat dotting his face.

"Akashi-san," Midorima said, catching his breath. His gaze moved to Kuroko and he quickly pushed up his glasses before walking over. He quickly scanned Kuroko's body, noting the many small cuts scattered around his pale skin.

Akashi stepped back and supervised Midorima's work. His heterochromatic gaze constantly flitted towards Kuroko's face to see the light-blue head wince every now and then. As Midorima begin unbuttoning Kuroko's shirt, Akashi watched with mild interest.

"His ribs aren't broken, that's a good sign," Midorima commented quietly. He held out his hands and over Kuroko's body as they began to glow. "He'll still be sore after this, but there will be nothing else to worry about." Midorima slowly took his time finishing up healing Kuroko's body, knowing that he was in for some sort of punishment once he was done.

_You're right, Shintarou._

Midorima visibly flinched. However, the tension was broken when Kuroko reached up and weakly grabbed Midorima's hand. Midorima looked down to see Kuroko give him a very faint smile. The greenhead forced himself to stop an incoming blush. He slowly pulled away his hand before standing up.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while," Midorima stated quietly. He proceeded to make himself scarce, feeling that Akashi was beginning to get irritated.

Akashi let out a small sigh, watching Midorima leave. He slowly moved his gaze to Kuroko only to find that the other was obviously avoiding his stare. He suppressed a smirk and walked closer to the smaller male. "Tetsuya, look at me."

Kuroko refused and tried to move away, ignoring the strain it was causing his body. He managed to get to the edge of the couch in a sitting position before bravely looking up to meet Akashi's slightly annoyed face. His gaze dropped to the floor seconds after seeing the heterochromatic eyes. While maintaining a straight expression, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

The two words were faint, but Akashi easily picked up on them. He pressed his right hand against one of his cheeks and closed his eyes. Akashi knew that Kuroko felt that the entire situation was his fault…and it kind of was…but it was also the Kiseki no Sedai's fault as well. "You don't need to be, Tetsuya."

Kuroko looked up again at Akashi's words. His mouth was set into a frown. "I am in no need of your pity, Akashi-san."

Akashi arched a brow. "I don't believe I was offering you my pity." Yes he could tell that Kuroko regretted his actions, but he was not one to pity another. No, he expected that person to accept their responsibility and move on. Akashi stepped back and leaned on the arm of the other chair. "And if you are as sorry as you seem, Tetsuya, don't sneak out to see that idiot redhead anymore."

Kuroko's brows immediately furrowed. "Don't call my friend an _idiot,"_ Kuroko bit out slowly. If Akashi was getting irritated, so was Kuroko. "At least _he_ takes the time to value our _friendship._" Kuroko had no idea where those words came from. He internally winced, wishing he thought more before he let those words go.

Akashi's eyes flashed red and gold respectively. "What are you trying to say?" He crossed his arms, doing his best to keep his temper in check.

"I'm saying," Kuroko started as he bravely looked up to stare Akashi straight in the eyes. "That you, someone who's been absent for so long, is in no position to judge someone you don't even know." Kuroko held Akashi's gaze, silently daring the other to do something. He clenched his fists in his lap, wondering if him being blunt this time was pushing the limit.

In a flash Akashi had Kuroko pinned against the back of the couch. The redhead predatorily hovered over the trapped light-blue head. Kuroko let out a small gasp of surprise, but otherwise maintained his blank expression.

Akashi let an angry grin run across his lips. "Are you sure you two are just _friends?_" He leaned in closer to Kuroko, causing the light-blue head to press further back into the couch. "Are you sure you're not letting him _fuck_ you?" With each word Akashi let drop out of his mouth, the temperature went up a degree. Everything around him was close to spontaneously combusting.

A loud slap resounded around the room. Beads of sweat dotted Kuroko's forehead as he stared accusingly at Akashi, leaving his hand in the air where it had met the redhead's face. Akashi left his head looking off to the side as he eyes began to glow.

"Tetsu~_ya_," Akashi crooned in a voice laced with danger. Jealously and anger slowly enveloped his mind to the point where formed thoughts were incoherent ones. All he could get from his mess of thoughts was that somehow, _his _Kuroko was in some sort of relationship with the _other_ redhead.

Kuroko's eyes dilated in silent fear as the heat around Akashi became unbearable. He used his hands to push against Akashi's chest, causing the redhead to finally look down on him. Kuroko froze as his hands began to burn. Suddenly the door slammed open, followed by yelling that he could not comprehend. His mind was too focused on the deadly glare that Akashi was currently sending him. He couldn't move even as he felt his skin beginning to burn.

"Kuroko!"

Kuroko blinked as he was suddenly enveloped into a cold darkness. He blinked and blinked once more, but all he saw was black. However, everything was cool, soothing his obviously flushed skin. Kuroko finally noticed that arms were around his waist when he felt them squeeze himself to the person behind him tighter.

"Akashi-san!" Midorima shouted as he roughly shoved the redhead to the ground. _I am going to get it later…_ Midorima thought after he committed the action. He watched as Akashi blinked and shook his head, the glowing in his eyes gone. "What do you think you were doing?" Midorima asked in a quieter, but still stern tone. "I almost fainted from the amount of power you were shooting out."

Kise stared worriedly from behind Midorima. He looked at the blackened couch before returning to watch Akashi. Murasakibara walked forward, gently pushing Midorima aside and knelt beside Akashi. For once the giant had no treat in his hands.

"Aka-chin, let's go for a walk, ne?"

* * *

Kuroko felt a rush of cool wind breeze over his face as he was greeted with the sight of his room. He took a shaky step forward, but his leg buckled and he began to tumble to the ground. However a strong, tanned arm caught him before he could complete his fall.

Aomine carried Kuroko to his bed before gently setting him down. He looked around and sat in the chair next to Kuroko's desk. The two met each other's gaze, one questioning with fear, the other weakened and worried.

"A-Aomine-san," Kuroko stuttered. Tears filled the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He rapidly blinked them away in slight irritation.

Aomine let out a tired sigh. Being in Akashi's presence when he was sending out such threatening waves of power sucked the energy out of him. He almost was unable to pull Kuroko into the shadows. "Akashi was just very concerned, Kuroko," Aomine finally stated.

Kuroko remained quiet, taking in Aomine's words, but failing to understand their meaning. He stared at Aomine's chair instead of the actual person, losing himself in his thoughts.

_I'll be more than happy to take away the one you love like you once did to me._

Kuroko's eyes widened a bit. He shifted on the bed and pulled his knees to his chest. "Did Akashi-san do something to Haizaki-san, Aomine-san?" The light-blue head returned his gaze to his guardian.

Aomine nodded slowly, unsure of whether he should tell Kuroko or not. "It happened a long time ago, though," Aomine began. "To start off, the Haizaki family used to be one of the guardian families."

Kuroko frowned a bit and tilted his head. "Why aren't they one now?"

"The Haizaki family betrayed the Guardian Alliance by sneaking information to the Planaedian Order," Aomine answered promptly. Sensing that this was going to take a good amount of time to explain, he rested his head on his hand.

"Haizaki fell in love with a member from the Planaedian Order afterwards."

Kuroko nodded his head for Aomine to continue.

"The time traveler of that time was being targeted by the Planaedian Order and Haizaki's lover was sent to retrieve the time traveler," Aomine continued, making sure that Kuroko was following. "We were in charge of that time traveler at that time too and you know what we had to do."

Kuroko shook his head. "You killed her."

Aomine nodded. "Akashi saw her right when she was about to attack the time traveler. He burned her right there and then." Aomine pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes. "And it was just Akashi's luck to have Haizaki there watching the whole thing."

Kuroko knew that when you loved someone so much, losing him or her was like letting a big part of yourself die. "But I am not Akashi's lover, he shouldn't be worried about any thing of that sort."

Aomine gave Kuroko a weak smile. The light-blue head was so naïve. "Haizaki will tear away anyone close to Akashi. I don't think it matters if their lovers or not." _But Akashi's really possessive too,_ Aomine stated in his head. "Akashi will protect you at all costs, but," Aomine said, pausing to let him think of the most appropriate way to explain this to Kuroko. "He gets mad and uh…touchy easily when it comes to you." Aomine hurried into his next sentence. "So I what I mean to say is that Akashi may have scared you today, but he would never hurt you."

Kuroko looked down at his knees. He admitted that Akashi had frightened him, but he was finding it hard to believe that the literally fiery redhead would never hurt him. He opened his hands and looked at the palms, expecting them to be blackened. However, the skin was unscarred.

"See," Aomine said.

Kuroko slowly nodded. "Thank you, Aomine-kun."

Aomine looked surprised at the new use of familiarity with his name. He let out a small smile. "No problem, Tetsu." His expression turned more serious. "But you shouldn't go running off on your own. I'm sure Akashi almost had a heart attack when Haizaki attacked you, though he would never say it."

"I understand," Kuroko said, reluctantly complying.

Aomine stood up, looking at Kuroko's door for a moment. He finally turned back to Kuroko. "Come on, let's go downstairs. I'm sure Midorima wants to do a check up on you again."

Kuroko moved his sore muscles and pushed himself to the edge of the bed. He slowly placed his feet on the ground and stood up. His ribs did not hurt as much as before, but they still complained with some movements. Aomine watched the light-blue head carefully, noting the movements being made. Kuroko warily looked at the door, some fear still apparent in his eyes.

Aomine easily read Kuroko's expression. "He's not here. Murasakibara took him out." He watched as Kuroko's shoulders drooped with relief.

Kuroko shakily walked forward and opened the door to reveal none other than Ryouta Kise.

"Kuroko!" the blonde wailed and promptly proceeded to glomp the shorter boy. "Are you okay? Did Aominecchi do anything perverted to you?"

"You're the pervert here!" Aomine yelled crossly as he pried Kise off of Kuroko.

Kuroko watched with silent interest. He flashed a small smile very quickly before letting it disappear. He was beginning to see that staying in the apartment wouldn't be as boring as he had perceived it to be.

* * *

Big thanks to those that have followed, favorited, and alerted!

Personal thanks to:

**hitomi65** - Look! Awesome reviewer! XD

**Shadow of an Echo** - Your reviews never fail to get me into the writing mood! Thank you! You've helped to take away some of my guilt! *smiles* I'm relieved and really really happy! Ah, I found a couple of them hard to write because they were kind of away from the plot, but I'm glad you like them! I think it's a good break for me too! I see Midorima as a healer too! And maybe Akashi will be a bit more lenient with Midorima this time... I really do want to involve them more, so keep an eye out! Yes! Takao is an amazing character for Midorima! I think I'm going to have to say "thank you" more than a hundred times to repay your kindness!

**Guest** - Here is your update! Enjoy!

**EclipseKuran** - Here's the next chapter! Thank you for the good wishes!

**MissSexyRain** - Haha, I should make a scene for our two redheads fighting over Kuroko! Thank you for the review!

* * *

And now we learn more about Akashi's and Haizaki's past!

Here is my update for the week! Last week was pretty hectic with the video editing that I was forced to do, but I'm happy with how the result came out! Plus my group got a hundred!

You guys are seriously awesome! I'm going to get more busy with state coming up, but I keep feeling the strong urge to write for you guys! I'm enjoying writing this story and I hope you guys are having fun reading it!

I'll work on this week's chapter and hopefully have the update ready by next week! Thank you again!


	7. Trusting

Lovely Jewels

Trusting

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Kise's Power Profile:

1. Control Over Light - can make things brighter or take away light from something/someone; can cause temporary blindness

2. ?

3. Telepathic - can talk to other members of Kiseki no Sedai through the mind

* * *

"We're leaving everyone," Murasakibara called out lazily over his shoulder. He didn't wait for a reply and followed Kuroko out the door.

After the door closed, the tension surrounding the air in the apartment slowly began to dissipate. Akashi came down the stairs to meet Midorima waiting for him at the bottom. The redhead locked gazes with the greenhead and they continued to do so for a while.

"Some Planaedius members are meeting south of the tower," Akashi stated, breaking the silence. "I expect good information for when you arrive back." After giving Midorima his mission, Akashi continued down the last few steps of the stairs.

Midorima expected much worse. His shoulders drooped a bit as relief pumped through his body, but then he allowed a small frown to appear on his face. _Akashi-san must feel very guilty then,_ Midorima thought. He pushed his ponderings away and slipped out of the apartment, not waiting for Akashi to suddenly set him to flames.

Akashi's expression was hard as he entered the kitchen where Aomine and Kise were currently hanging out in. He gave each member a nod of acknowledgement before walking to the fridge and opening it. He pulled out a water bottle and swiftly turned around to lean on the now closed fridge. He closed his eyes, very irritated with himself, but not wanting to take it on the others.

"Akashicchi," Kise called out quietly. The blonde watched the redhead anxiously, shooting a glance at Aomine who settled with glaring at the blonde.

Akashi inhaled deeply before cracking open his golden eye to look at Kise. "What is it, Ryouta?"

"Ah…" started Kise who began to sweat. "It's just that… uh when Aominecchi and I were scouting the area, we found an underground tunnel near-"

"Is it Planaedius?" Akashi cut in, opening his other eye to fully focus his gaze on Kise.

"Y-Yeah, we think so," Kise replied, forcing a smile and brushing the back of his head with his hand. "But we caused it to collapse, so it should be awhile before they can get it in working condition again."

Akashi nodded his approval. He placed his water bottle on the counter and started to exit the kitchen only to hear Murasakibara's voice resonate in his head.

_Aka-chin, Planaedius is here. There are a lot of them. What should I do?_

Akashi's eyes narrowed. _Keep Tetsuya safe until I send someone._ Akashi turned around, letting his gaze fall on Kise who stared a bit fearfully back. "Ryouta, go to Tetsuya's school." He didn't think that Planaedius would cause a big scene in a public place, so he didn't want all the Kiseki no Sedai to suddenly appear on campus.

"Eh? Why Akashicchi?" Kise asked in a bewildered tone. "Isn't Murasakicchi already there?"

Aomine placed a hand on Kise's shoulder to silence anymore of his whining. "Just go." He let his hand drop before turning to Akashi. "We leaving too?"

Akashi nodded. "Let's make this quick."

* * *

Kuroko was definitely shocked, but he hid his emotion fairly well. He and Murasakibara were aware that a career fair would be held today, but they weren't aware that one of the companies showing up would be Planaedius. The two walked past the stands set up on either side of the courtyard leading to the school. Although Murasakibara called attention from the crowd, Kuroko walked next to him relatively unnoticed.

"Kuro-chin," Murasakibara said while looking down towards the blue-head. He moved his lollipop to the side of mouth so he could better chew on it. "What are you planning on doing?"

Kuroko continued to look straight ahead as they entered the building. "Let's just go to our classroom." He made a small effort to look up at the giant beside him. "It wouldn't be safe to go anywhere else," Kuroko said very quietly.

The two pushed past the horde of students bustling around. It was just like a culture festival with all of the stands set up. Kuroko opened the door to their thankfully empty classroom and stepped in. Murasakibara was just about to follow when a series of voices called out to them.

"Hey, Kuroko!"

Kuroko turned as Murasakibara moved out of the way just in time to see Kagami appear at the entrance of the door. Kagami was smiling as he stepped in followed by Hyuuga.

"Ah, it's a good thing that I caught you!" Kagami said, still holding his boisterous smile.

Hyuuga sent Kuroko a smile as well. "We are going to the courts after this. Are you coming?"

Murasakibara visibly frowned. He knew Kuroko liked hanging out with these loud people, but he still had a hard time sharing the small male. He was about to pull Kuroko closer to him and farther away from the other guys when another person appeared at the door.

"Ah, Atsushi! Come on, there's a pastry chef here!" Himuro walked in and grabbed Murasakibara's arm before dragging him out of the classroom. He waved at Kuroko before leaving.

Kagami watched the two run off and then quickly turned back to Kuroko with an eager look on his face. "So, are you coming?" He prepared himself for disappointment under all of his eagerness, knowing how busy his friend had become.

Kuroko quickly thought out the consequences of joining his friends and decided that the consequences were quite negatively heavy. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Keeping an expressionless face, Kuroko shook his head. "Sorry, Kagami-kun, I will not be able to go today." He slightly frowned, remembering Akashi's words towards his friend.

Kagami fought back his discontentment and instead forced a smile. He reached out and ruffled Kuroko's hair. "Ah, it's fine then."

Hyuuga pushed Kagami aside and pushed up his glasses as he looked down at Kuroko. "You better spend some time with your seniors then to make up for your absence."

Kuroko nodded his head, making a discrete glance towards the door to see if Murasakibara had come back. Planaedius's presence was unnerving to him. He walked out first and turned around. "Let's go."

* * *

Murasakibara found himself pouting a bit as he was led to the pastry chef by Himuro. He could vaguely hear Himuro talking to him, but his attention was stolen by a sweet alluring aroma. Using his height to his advantage, he spotted a small stall decorated by small pastries. Himuro looked back at Murasakibara after feeling a slight tug, smiling after seeing the taller male's expression.

* * *

Kuroko found himself having fun as met up with Riko and the others to check out the different companies that came to represent themselves at their school. Kagami kept his eyes out for any basketball associations while Riko chatted with health companies. Kuroko didn't find any thing that interested him and just followed along with the others.

"Eh, look!" Koganei said while pointing towards a particular stand.

The group stopped and looked in the direction that Koganei was pointing in. Kuroko's eyes widened a fraction and he watched his friends to carefully gauge their reactions. Kiyoshi broke out into a smile and playfully whacked Koganei on the back of the head.

"Good job!" Kiyoshi stated cheerfully as he started dragging Koganei and Izuki towards the stand. "It's Planaedius! We need to put in the effort to make them notice us!" He looked over his shoulder and winked at Hyuuga who sent a glare at him.

Kuroko looked over at the stand curiously and caught the eye of one of the workers. Everything seemed to slow down and the noise became silence. The worker winked at Kuroko while giving him a sly smile.

"Kuroko! Hey Kuroko!"

The trance broke and Kuroko turned to the side to see Kagami give him a look. He unconsciously began to sweat and his heart was racing. He took a step back causing Kagami to arch a brow.

"Kuroko, are you-" Kagami started.

"Fine, I just remembered I left something back in the classroom," Kuroko cut in, doing his best to keep any unnecessary emotions from showing through. "You go ahead, I'll catch up." He turned around and disappeared into the crowd before Kagami could answer.

Kagami rubbed the back of his head and then looked over at the Planaedius stand. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi were arguing about something and seemed to be scaring one of the workers over there. He sighed, unsatisfied with Kuroko's explanation and decided to go after his friend.

* * *

Kuroko rushed past the people and hurried into his classroom after roughly sliding the door open. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him before leaning back on it and slid down to the floor. Closing his eyes, he quickly collected his thoughts.

* * *

Murasakibara sensed Kuroko's distress and held a cookie away from his mouth. He stared off over the crowd, trying to find out where the small blue-head was. "Ne, Muro-chin."

Himuro looked up at Murasakibara. He nodded his acknowledgement, but refused to say anything for his mouth was full of cake.

"Muro-chin, your friends were calling for you," Murasakibara said innocently. "They went that way."

Himuro blinked a couple of times in confusion before finally understanding what Murasakibara said. He swallowed and brushed his hands together to get any remaining crumbs off. "Ah, okay, thank you Atsushi."

Murasakibara and Himuro parted ways with each one going in a separate direction. Murasakibara had purposely sent Himuro off, feeling the need to keep his new friend safe from the danger that was shrouding over the school. He easily found his way through the crowd and headed towards Kuroko's consciousness.

* * *

Kuroko got up and looked around in the eerily dark classroom. The air was still and cold. His eyes caught subtle movement from across the room and from the shadows appeared a human form.

"Time Traveler," the form whispered. The shadows surrounding the form disappeared, revealing a handsome young man. His right ear was pierced and his blonde hair was spiked. "I wanna do this quickly and quietly, got it?"

Kuroko frowned and put his hand on the handle of the door.

"Not happening, Time Traveler-kun," the blondie said before setting a barrier around the room. "You're not getting out you know? I could get killed if I let you get away."

Looking around the room for any signs of an escape route, Kuroko failed to notice the other person dart forward to shove Kuroko up against the door. The wind was knocked out of Kuroko's lungs and he winced in pain. He looked up, feeling something tighten around his wrists.

"Look, no escaping for you."

Kuroko looked at the glowing bonds tying both wrists together. He slowly met the blonde's gaze, keeping miraculously calm. "Who are you?"

The blonde looked shocked before letting out a chuckle. "Ryou of Planaedius at your service, Time traveler-kun!" He stepped back and pulled Kuroko with him.

Both males stiffened upon hearing pounding on the door.

"Kuroko! You in there?" Kagami called out from the other side. "Hey, open the door!" He pulled on the door, but the door remained shut closed.

Kuroko flinched when a hand was placed on his mouth.

"Not a peep from you," Ryou whispered, his green eyes glowing dangerously. He looked at the door and failed to notice the shift happening right before his eyes. Suddenly his body was thrown across the room.

"You were touching Kuro-chin."

Ryou looked up from the floor through squinted eyes to see a purple-headed giant come through a gigantic hole in the wall. His bangs covered his eyes as a smirk spread across his face. He stood up with little effort and dusted off his pants. "Atsushi Murasakibara."

Murasakibara showed no signs of recognition to the other and instead pushed Kuroko behind him. Kuroko looked at the gaping hole in the wall and found himself frowning a bit even though he was greatly relieved. How would they explain this to the school?

"Murasakibara-kun, you overdid it," Kuroko said while looking at the said person.

"Disappear," Murasakibara muttered in response.

Ryou's smile widened once noticing that he could no longer see the Time Traveler. He could feel his body trembling in excitement. "What else can you do, Atsushi-kun?" _He got through my barrier too…but he didn't take it down…_

Murasakibara frowned and lifted a desk with his mind before sending it hurtling towards Ryou. The blonde jumped out of the way and nimbly landed on another desk. He shot a cheeky grin towards the giant.

"What was that?" Kagami yelled.

Kuroko's ears perked up at Kagami's voice. He shifted carefully towards the door and tried to slide the door open. It wouldn't budge and Kuroko's shoulders tensed.

"Come now, Atsushi-kun!" Ryou taunted as he shot towards Murasakibara ready with a punch.

Murasakibara easily blocked the impending punch and quickly moved into a kick. Ryou leaned back and watched Murasakibara's leg soar over him before performing a backflip to land a safe distance away. His hands began to glow as electricity stormed around them.

"I still want to see what else you can do, Atsushi-kun," Ryou started as he crouched down. "But I don't think you can handle what I can do."

Murasakibara returned the insult with a bored and tired expression. Ryou could do nothing against him since he already knew what the other was doing by just reading his thoughts. Just as Ryou was about to strike, a window burst inward, letting the shattered glass scatter around the room.

* * *

"Kagami-kun."

Kagami whipped around to see Kuroko standing behind me. He let out a loud yell, causing Kuroko to quickly jab him in the side. Kagami was about to berate his small friend for his prior action, but quickly sensed something amiss.

"Riko-san," Kuroko deadpanned with his blankest expression he could muster at the moment.

"W-what?" Kagami asked as he fearfully began to sweat-drop. What was going in the classroom momentarily slipped from his mind.

"Just go, Kagami-kun," Kuroko added. Silently wishing that Kagami would just run off so that he wouldn't get hurt.

Kagami rubbed the back of his head and began slowly moving down the hallway. He was still suspicious about what was going on in the classroom, but Riko's wrath seemed the worse of the two. He nodded quickly to Kuroko before running off.

_One problem thankfully solved,_ Kuroko thought as he hurried to get back into the classroom through the hole that Murasakibara had created.

* * *

"Eh, looks like another joins the party," Ryou said with mock cheerfulness. He looked at the other blonde with disdain. "Ugh, you would style your hair like that?"

Kise rolled his eyes, but managed to keep his serious face. He turned to Murasakibara. "Grab him, we have to go."

"What do you me-aghhh!" Ryou screamed as he fell to the floor, covering his eyes with his hands. "I can't see anything! Damn you!" Ryou rubbed his eyes desperately, trying to regain his lost sight.

Murasakibara grabbed Kuroko as he stumbled into the classroom and gently slung him over his shoulder. Kise threw a look over his shoulder, carefully watching Ryou to make sure that he stayed down. The two members of the Kiseki no Sedai jumped through the broken window and stealthily escaped the campus.

* * *

"W-What's going on?" Kise asked as he stared at the apartment complex incredously. His eyes narrowed and he scanned the area for a familiar face. "Murasakicchi, you should put Kuroko down. The police are here."

Murasakibara obeyed and gently placed Kuroko on his own two feet. The three stared up at the burning building as firefighters worked to douse the fire and evacuate people. Many ambulances were present as well with the EMTs working to help the injured. The sight made Kuroko feel lost. Will he be going back to live with his parents now? Where will the Kiseki no Sedai go?

"Hey, Kise, Murasakibara, Tetsu!" a voice called out, causing the three said people to turn around.

Aomine ran up to them quickly followed by Midorima and Akashi. The three looked uninjured and worry in different degrees showed on their faces. Aomine ran up to Kise first and gave him a quick once-over.

"Eh, Aomineicchi? What happened to the building?" Kise asked, oblivious to the hint of concern in his partner's eyes.

"Planaedius," Midorima answered without missing a beat. His skilled eyes analyzed the three before him. "It's a good thing that you three were at school." Midorima pushed up his glasses. "But there has already been news of a destroyed classroom," Midorima stated, sending a glare towards Kise and Murasakibara.

Kuroko had been too absorbed with what the others were saying to notice Akashi approaching him. All he knew was that he was suddenly in a tight embrace. He took in the comforting smell emitting from Akashi's chest before fear gripped his heart causing him to struggle out of the redhead's grasp.

Kuroko's heart rate had sped up and adrenaline shot into his blood vessels. He shook his head slightly to maintain a calm expression even though flashes of a burning glare ran through his mind. "Ah, sorry Akashi-san. You just surprised me."

Akashi's eyes looked down casted as he met Kuroko's eyes. "I understand."

Those words had a double meaning to Kuroko. He wasn't sure if Akashi said those words in regards to the surprise that Akashi had caused him or the fear that Kuroko still had for Akashi. He simply nodded in response just as Midorima came up to the two of them.

Midorima looked at both of them with an arched brow. "I've prepared a countryside house for us," he finally stated while turning to Kuroko. "You should call you father and tell him, but for right now we must leave."

Akashi started walking away first. "The car's ready as well," he called out over his shoulder.

Kuroko watched Akashi leave with mixed feelings. "No one at the school was hurt right?"

Midorima shook his head. "No, everyone is fine, including your friends." He started to turn as a silent cue for them to leave.

Kuroko picked up on it quickly and walked beside Midorima.

* * *

Kuroko was astonished by the house that Midorima had chosen. It was a traditional Japanese styled manor located in a secluded forest in the countryside. This would give the Kiseki no Sedai time to collect themselves as Planaedius tried to find them. The house was surrounded by stonewalls and the backyard had a koi pond. Everything was a stark contrast from the harsh scenery of the city. Here, everyone had their own separate room.

* * *

Cautiously sliding open the door to his room, Kuroko stepped out on tiptoes. Night had fallen, but Kuroko couldn't sleep. He looked warily side-to-side for signs of anyone awake, but gladly saw none. He slowly closed the door behind him and took tentative steps towards the backyard. Once there, he sat down at the edge of the wooden platform and looked up into the night sky to be greeted by the millions of twinkling stars that lived there.

The call to his father was relatively painless. Both of his parents seemed to see the merits in breathing in cleaner air and had no problem with the location as long as Kuroko still attended school. They had even offered to buy him a car to make his commute easier.

Kuroko pulled up his knees and rested his head on his arms as his half-lidded eyes left the sky to watch the peace of the backyard. A creak behind him, however, caused Kuroko to perk up. He peeked over his shoulder to see Akashi leaning on one of the wooden pillars. The redhead's heterochromatic eyes glowed in the moonlight.

Kuroko started to get up. "Did I disturb you, Akashi-san?"

Akashi swiftly walked forward and pressed down on Kuroko's shoulders to keep the other down. "No," Akashi answered, authority present in his tone of voice. "Keep me company, Tetsuya."

Kuroko visibly tensed as Akashi sat down next to him. He focused his gaze on anywhere other than Akashi. "The stars are pretty," Kuroko said quietly, trying to lessen the awkwardness of the situation.

Akashi reached out and placed his hand over Kuroko's, noticing the stiffness coming from the other male. "I scared you."

Kuroko finally looked over at Akashi only to be met with the intense gaze of the other's red and gold eyes. He could immediately tell that the look in Akashi's eyes was different from the time before. Kuroko could see warmth, pain, and regret swirling in the different colored depths.

Akashi tightened his hold on Kuroko's hand and brought it close to his face. He continued to stare into Kuroko's baby blue eyes as he placed a chaste kiss on the bluehead's hand. "Forgive me."

Kuroko's stomach flipped multiple times. Akashi's words, actions, stare…all of it was too intense. He didn't know how to react. He pulled his hand away, but Akashi leaned forward. "A-Akashi-san."

Akashi rested his head on Kuroko's shoulder. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath. "I'll protect you. I promise."

Kuroko's eyes widened slightly before returning to normal. It was plain obvious that Akashi was truly sorry for letting himself get out of control. Kuroko carefully reached around and patted Akashi on the back. "It's okay Akashi-san. I understand." _Now I understand._

Akashi hid his small smile of relief and let his head fall to Kuroko's lap.

"Akashi-san!" Kuroko let out with a yelp. He failed to notice the blush that suddenly blossomed on his face.

"I've been deprived of you for too long," Akashi murmured. "Let me stay like this for awhile."

Kuroko frowned and seriously considered pushing Akashi off of his lap. He juggled this thought, but was interrupted by Akashi abruptly getting up. "What are yo-umph!"

Kuroko's blush lightly dusted his cheeks as he found himself on top of Akashi. He pushed against the redhead's chest only to find that Akashi had his arms securely around his waist. He pouted after seeing Akashi's smirk.

"I like this better," Akashi said lowly. He held Kuroko tighter. "So just go to sleep."

Kuroko turned away, but let his head rest on Akashi's rising and descending chest. Warmth surrounded him, letting sleep's gentle arms seduce him into dreamland easier. It wasn't long until Kuroko's breath evened out.

Akashi ran his hand through the blue locks, gently caressing his scalp.

"I love you Tetsuya," Akashi whispered, sure that Kuroko had not heard it.

And Akashi was right, Kuroko had not heard it.

* * *

Thank you everyone, for doing what you can to support this story!

Personal thanks to:

hitomi65 - Ah, thank you for the review!

Shadow of an Echo - I'm thanking you again! *sighs loud sigh of relief* I'm glad the backstory made sense! Jealousy is very scary, especially coming from Akashi! I think Akashi went pretty easy on Midorima...this time around...haha! Yeah! Who knows what would have happened to our precious Kuroko! I should definitely arrange that so we can see how Akashi acts! Yes, Takao needs to make another appearance! I hope that I'm building the characters up well! Thank you for your encouragement! You really help me push through my insecurities! Thank you for being a MAGNIFICENT reviewer!

AokazuSei - I'm glad you love my story! And wow! That picture is so like the Kiseki no Sedai! Thank you for showing me!

EclipseKuran - Here's the next post! Thank you for the review!

.353 - Thank you for the love! I hope the little ending was enough AkaKuro for you!

* * *

Ahhhhh! I just finished this chappy today and I feel that this one is too long! Please forgive any grammatical errors...because I'm sure there are some in there...

I'm not too happy with this chapter. I feel the flow is really off, but hopefully it isn't too bad for you guys!

Thank you again!


	8. Pasts and Crashes

Lovely Jewels

Pasts and Crashes

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

* * *

Kuroko idly read through a passage about the importance of the potato in the old world from his world history book. His eyes stared blankly at the page as he silently wondered how something so little could have a great affect on so many people. He turned away from the book and moved to write something down in his notes. A shadow passed across his writing, causing him to look up quickly. His room's door was open revealing the backyard, which stared back at Kuroko with serenity. The light blue-head brushed off the occurrence as a bird flying by before returning to his work.

He flipped the page of his textbook and was about to delve back into the history of the potato when he suddenly felt a strong pulse inside of him. His pencil dropped onto the table and then rolled off to drop onto the floor. The pulse shot through him again and he let out a quiet cry. Kuroko crawled out towards the garden, wincing as his vision began to blur. A whirring sound filled his ears as he stumbled out of his room to land on soft grass. Darkness encroached on his ever-blurring vision until he found that he could see no more.

* * *

"Where is he?"

"Kuro-chin?"

"Oi! Tetsu!"

Akashi's eyes scanned the garden quickly, trying to pick up any sign of his small blue-head. The Kiseki no Sedai scattered across the house's grounds, trying to find out where Kuroko had gone. The only one not joining the search was Midorima who was currently on another info mission.

* * *

Aomine found Kise contemplating something as he leaned against a wall of the house. The blonde's brows were furrowed deeply as his eyes stared into nothing. The tanned male walked up the Kise, knocking on the wood beside the other's head to gain the blonde's attention.

"Ah, Aominecchi!" Kise blurted, his train of thought broken. He caught Aomine's slightly worried gaze. "You felt it too right? That familiar feel? I'm sure Akashicchi did too!"

Aomine closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm sure Midorima can figure out what happened."

Kise eagerly nodded. "I think Akashicchi called for him, let's go see if he's here." He leaned forward a little. "Aominecchi?"

Aomine opened his eyes, seeming drained. He failed to notice how close Kise had gotten to him. His eyes widened a bit, watching Kise inch closer.

Kise suddenly backed up and flicked Aomine on the forehead before running away. "Ha, Aominecchi! You left yourself wide open!" As he turned a corner, Kise's smile faltered a bit. He was worried about Kuroko too.

* * *

"He time-traveled," Midorima answered, looking at the other members with a matter-of-fact expression. Inside, though, he found himself panicking a little. _Does Kuroko even know that he time-traveled?_

"He'll be fine," Akashi stated confidently. He stared at the others, reassuring them. The only thing Akashi was worried about was their past selves. He knew not of what time period Kuroko traveled to, but he was hoping that Kuroko would not run into the Kiseki no Sedai.

* * *

Kuroko awoke to the peaceful sound of birds chirping. Grass blades tickled his face, causing Kuroko to scrunch up his nose and rub his eyes. He slowly opened his blue orbs, giving them time to adjust to the dim light. He pushed himself to a sitting position and looked up to see a canopy of leaves filtering out the sunlight. Confusion hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Where am I?" Kuroko muttered while rubbing his eyes. All he could see was an army of trees surrounding him. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't exactly light either. Plus, there was no sign of the house or the garden!

Kuroko stood up and leaned against a tree for support. His head was still slightly throbbing and he found that his body was tired and tingling from numbness. Far off he could hear shouting and laughter. _Is it the Kiseki no Sedai?_ He started trudging towards the sound of the voices.

The trees began to thin out and bushes began to replace them. With the trees gone, Kuroko could finally tell that it was early midday. He felt leaves and branches brush by him as he finally entered a wall of bushes. The shouting from before became clearer.

"Aominecchi, mou!"

Kuroko cocked his head to the side. _Kise-san?_ He peaked through the leaves, unsure of why he was so nervous. The sight he saw baffled him.

The Kiseki no Sedai was definitely there, but their clothes were odd in the fact that they were traditional Japanese clothing and they seemed to be…_playing around?_ Aomine and Murasakibara were keeping some sort of small bag away from Kise. Kise had tears gathering in his eyes as he chased the bag that was being tossed around. Kuroko looked around and spotted Akashi and Midorima under the shade of a tree playing shogi.

A familiar head of pink caught his eye though. His brows furrowed as he stared at the girl. _Momoi?_ He watched the girl turn before finally catching a glimpse of her face. Yes she had the pink hair that Momoi did, but her eyes were a dark rich purple. She smiled cheerfully as she watched Aomine and Murasakibara tease Kise. Yet Kuroko couldn't help but feel that she was somehow related to Momoi.

Kise ran up to the pink-head and buried his head in her stomach while crying his infamous crocodile tears. She ran her hands through his hair while smiling and offering words of comfort. Akashi appeared by the two's sides.

"Momoka, ignore Ryouta," he said, still having authority in his tone, but it was apparent that Akashi had joined in on the teasing of the blonde. He gently picked up a strand of Momoka's hair and bent slightly to smell it. A light blush spread across the pink-head's face, but Kise quickly regained her attention.

"Momokacchi! Akashicchi is a pervert!" Kise cried out, obviously distressed with the lack of attention he was receiving.

Aomine and Murasakibara froze in their positions as they slowly turned to look at Akashi who suddenly had a very creepy smile on his face. The atmosphere around the redhead turned dark and his smile became more of a smirk. Everyone, even Kuroko, began to pray for Kise for death was sure an option to come next.

Momoka just widened her smile and patted Kise on the head. "Ah, Kise-kun. Stop bullying Sei-kun, okay?" She tilted her head at Kise while closing her eyes.

Kise started blubbering incoherent words as he scrambled away from the girl and ran with tears in his eyes to Aomine. "Waaaah! Akashicchi and Momokacchi are mean!"

Aomine wrapped an arm around Kise comfortingly with an amused expression. "You are just being dramatic."

Kuroko watched Akashi smile…_gently._ He felt a true pang of jealousy, though he couldn't quite pinpoint and understand the emotion. Akashi pulled Momoka up to her feet and kissed her hand. Kuroko quickly looked away.

"Ne, Sei-kun," Momoka said while looking at Akashi's eyes. "Can you take the others to go see Oba-sama? I'll be right there."

Akashi nodded and his eyes flitted towards the others. Without another word the Kiseki no Sedai scattered off into the forest, leaving Momoka alone. She sat back down and turned to stare at where Kuroko was.

"You can come out now."

Kuroko steeled himself for the confrontation, shocked that she knew he was there, but curious to know how. He pushed past the remaining brush to appear before her. "I am Kuroko Tetsuya. I mean no harm," Kuroko stated in his monotone voice.

Momoka gave him a small, knowing smile. "I know. You have a familiar feeling around you," she said while tapping her chin. She laid her dark purple eyes on the small blue-haired male in front of her. "You are…"

Kuroko picked up on the cue. "A time-traveler, yes." He stared back at her, never straying from her gaze. He noticed that she was beautifully flawless. His gaze finally dropped.

"Ah, where are my manners," Momoka said, breaking the moment of silence. She waited until Kuroko met her gaze again before introducing herself. "My name is Momoka Momoi." Her eyes brightened as a realization dawned on her. "You must come from a different time then? Past or the future?" She scanned his clothing.

"The future," Kuroko replied easily. He finally fully understood where he was now, but he had no idea how he could get back. A feeling of utter loneliness fell upon him. The Kiseki no Sedai seemed so far away, even though they were present in this time. _Kagami-kun and the others too…_

Momoka stood up and brushed off her dress before slowly approaching Kuroko. "Do you have control over time yet?" Her long light pink yukata hung slightly loose on her body as she continued to make her way over.

Kuroko shook his head, feeling suddenly apprehensive. "Do you?" He found that he would have to rely on her if he was to get back to his own time.

Momoka blinked a couple of times. "I just know the basics. I guess you came here because your power fluctuated." She reached out and grabbed Kuroko's hand before turning and walking into the forest. "We need to put some space between us and the Kiseki no Sedai." Turning her head to look back, she added, "You don't want to see them, don't you?"

Kuroko allowed himself to get pulled along. "No, I don't believe I should." He didn't know how they would react, but he knew first hand that they were down right powerful. Though Kuroko admitted to himself that there were other reasons for him not wanting to see them. "What is the first thing I should do to get back?"

Momoka stopped walking and let go of Kuroko's hand. She looked around warily. "It'll take them a while to find us here."

Kuroko nodded, waiting for his answer. He watched as Momoka lifted her right hand and pressed it against her chest. Her hand began to glow.

"The first thing, I guess, is to concentrate your power in one place. The easiest place is near the heart," Momoka explained before pulling her hand away to cease the glowing. "Once you're really good at focusing your power, you can change the time of one thing or everything around you." She smiled sheepishly while brushing her bangs out of her face. "But I'm not that good yet, I can only do a few things at a time."

Kuroko looked at his hand. He slowly placed it on his chest, but he had no idea what to focus on. "Can you tell me what I should be feeling?" he asked, looking up to see that Momoka was staring intently at him.

"Of course!" she said cheerfully. Momoka leaned a bit forward and placed a hand on her hip as she continued to assess him. "You are not from the Momoi family are you, though?"

Kuroko stopped to think. "No, I'm from the Kuroko family." He swore he said his family name when he introduced himself to her.

"Ah, so Sei-kun was right when he said a different family gets the time-traveler power each generation," Momoka said, more to herself though.

Kuroko flinched at the nickname, but held his cool demeanor.

Momoka quickly waved both hands in front of her while she began apologizing. "Forgive me for rambling!" She was blushing as she started talking again. "For me, I feel an electrifying warmth flow through my veins. When I was learning to control my power it was really faint, but once you find it, you never lose it."

The forest became quiet except for the occasional chirp of a bird. Momoka leaned against a tree and waited for Kuroko to begin. She watched as his hand went back to his chest. Kuroko closed his eyes and searched his body for the feeling that Momoka had described.

_A warm electrifying feeling?_ Kuroko thought to himself. He picked up on a sort of wave through his body. _Is it this?_ Focusing on that feeling he directed it to his chest.

"Ah! Kuroko-kun! Look, you're doing it!"

Kuroko opened his eyes to see his hand glowing a bright blue. Small pulses vibrated through his chest and hand. His lapse in concentration, however, caused the light to fade away. He looked up quickly when Momoka grabbed his hand.

"Now you have to focus your power to your entire being and think about your time period," she said quietly with serious eyes. "It's not easy, but it's the only way."

"I understand," Kuroko replied. His blank eyes looked into her slightly concerned ones. "Thank you for helping me even though I just appeared out of nowhere."

Momoka let go of Kuroko's hand. "Well, a time traveler needs to help another time traveler out!" Her eyelids dropped a bit as she stared at the ground. "It gets lonely being the only one to have this power, even though the Kiseki no Sedai keep me company."

Kuroko's eyes softened a tiny bit, already being able to relate to her.

She suddenly snapped her head back up with panic in her eyes. "Sei-kun's coming!" She hopped around while holding her hands close to her face. "You need to hurry! You didn't want to see them right?"

* * *

Midorima appeared before Akashi who was sitting on Kuroko's futon. The greenhead waited patiently for Akashi to acknowledge him before speaking. "Planaedius picked up on Kuroko's fluctuation of power."

Akashi rubbed his eyes in irritation. "We need to put the barrier up." He rose from the futon and stepped outside. "Gather the others, we need to do this quickly." Akashi glanced over his shoulder. "Before Tetsuya returns."

Midorima pushed up his glasses. "Understood."

* * *

Momoka jumped again and accidently bumped into Kuroko, causing him to stumble a bit. "Ah! I'm so sorry!" She ran her hands through her hair. "Stay here and work on getting back to your time. The others will feel your power, so I'll go off and distract them." She ran off in the direction that she had brought Kuroko before turning around after getting a certain distance. She waved with a smile, but her eyes were shrouded with a hint of sadness. "Good luck Kuroko-kun!"

Kuroko waved and watched as Momoka disappeared. He decided that she and Satsuki had a lot in common. Shaking his head, Kuroko focused on getting the task before him done. He picked up immediately on the warm feeling and tried to make it even throughout his body. The wind began to pick up and tangoed with his blue locks.

* * *

Akashi looked over as Momoka came running to meet him. He caught her by both arms and pulled her close. "You were taking too long."

Momoka pulled away and twirled one finger in her bright pink hair. "I found a butterfly and chased it."

Midorima gave Momoka a suspicious look. His eyes widened when he felt a surge of power flow through the forest. "What is that?" He looked at Akashi, but the redhead also seemed confused.

Aomine and Kise quickly picked up on the feeling as well and moved to surround Momoka. She looked at the five nervously. There must be something else that she could do to give Kuroko more time.

"Ahhh," Momoka cried out as she fell to the ground clutching her stomach. "I-It hurts!"

Akashi immediately knelt down beside her. "What happened?" He stared at her hand that was pressed against her stomach.

* * *

"That should do it," Aomine muttered to himself as he finished up his side of the barrier. He looked to his left to see Kise finishing up his. "Kise! Hurry up!"

Kise pouted at Aomine before completing the barrier. The two dropped down into the trees and raced each other back to the house. They both abruptly stopped though when a pulse of Kuroko's power made itself known. Kise looked at Aomine.

_The backyard!_

* * *

Kuroko struggled as immense power flowed through his body. He felt numb and he could feel the wind whipping at his clothing. He squinted his eyes open to see that he was surrounded by bright blue light. The trees that he could see through the blue light were beginning to fade away. Closing his eyes again, Kuroko set forth to completing the travel.

* * *

Akashi, Midorima, and Atsushi were already in the backyard waiting when Kise and Aomine arrived. The three stood a safe distance from the concentration of power that was forming at the center. Akashi looked at the two out of the corner of his eyes before returning his attention to the light that was beginning to take form.

Murasakibara lazily opened another package of pocky sticks, bringing one out at a time to munch on them. He and the other four were still on edge about Kuroko's disappearance, but everyone believed that he would return. If not, the Kiseki no Sedai would find a way to get him back.

Akashi's eyes widened slightly as a silhouette appeared amidst the light. It took him less than three seconds to cross the distance between him and Kuroko. He pushed past the light surrounding his Kuroko and caught him before he could fall. The other members of Kiseki no Sedai rushed to their side.

"Tetsuya," Akashi whispered, sensing that the bluehead was very tired.

Kuroko was breathing hard, although the feeling of Akashi's warmth served to calm him. Sweat dotted his forehead and he found that he couldn't move his body. He lay limp in Akashi's arms.

"He's fatigued, we need to let him rest," Midorima stated, tempted to take Kuroko from Akashi to better assess him.

Akashi nodded and stood up, pulling Kuroko close to his chest. He nuzzled his nose into Kuroko's hair, smelling an earthy aroma and a familiar perfume wafting from him as well. Akashi hesitated in one of his steps. _Could Tetsuya have met…No…_

* * *

OMAKE:

Heal Me!?

Midorima slipped back into the city with relative ease. His research had shown him that the person he was looking for was in the hospital of this area. He snuck past the nurses and doctors with ease and found himself in front of a door.

Takao slept soundly in the hospital bed. Being on the top floor sucked when there was a fire. He had to make a crazy jump through one of the windows! He suffered from a broken arm and minor bruising, but he was happy to have his life. However, he couldn't help but worry about a certain green-haired neighbor.

Midorima carefully and silently entered the room. He watched with slight concern as Takao breathed steadily and he could tell that he was fast asleep. The healer walked over to the bedside and looked at the cast Takao's arm was in. Midorima held out his hand over the arm and a bright light flashed for an instant.

Takao stirred. "Shi~n-chan," he muttered before turning over in his sleep.

The next morning Takao woke up to find a couple of nurses staring at him in awe.

* * *

OMAKE 2:

Jealousy at Its Finest

Kuroko laid on his stomach on his futon while holding his phone in front of him. He was currently texting Kagami.

_To: Kuroko_

_ So, I don't have it either! Kuroko what did you do with it?_

_From: Kagami-kun_

Kuroko frowned at the text. He started to text his friend back. He was sure he did have the book somewhere, but he guessed that he probably misplaced it. Kuroko looked up when his door slid open to reveal none other than Akashi. Without a word Akashi walked over and took Kuroko's phone. Kuroko pouted and reached for it, but the redhead's expression stopped him.

"What is this?" Akashi asked with a growl. He turned the phone around, causing Kuroko to gulp. "What were you going to say?"

He hoped Akashi would listen to his explanation.

_To: Kagami-kun_

_ Look, Kagami-kun. I guess I lo_

_From: Kuroko_

* * *

OMAKE 3:

Things That Go on Between Kise and Aomine in Aomine's Room

"Stop being mean, Aominecchi!" Kise cried. "I want it now!" The blonde tried to move closer to the tanned male, but was stopped by an arm.

"You are just going to choke on it," Aomine replied gruffly. He pushed Kise's head away.

"What are you talking about? I can take it on!" Kise retorted defiantly. "It's not even that big," he muttered in a quiet voice.

Aomine suddenly smirked. "Are you sure? I think it's pretty large, even for that big mouth of yours."

Kise nodded. "Mou, just give it to me already Aominecchi!"

"Open wide then," Aomine said, leering at his friend. He began to slowly put what Kise wanted into his mouth.

A few seconds later Kise was trying to pull away. "Mmhhh-Too-ddmmeeep!" Kise struggled, still trying to speak though his mouth was very full.

Aomine pulled out and gave Kise a satisfactory smile. "And you said you could take it."

"I wanted the sushi, Aominecchi! Not the chopsticks!" Kise cried out while pouting adorably.

* * *

Thank you for everyone who has taken the time to show me their support!

Personal Thanks to:

hitomi65 - Thank you for leaving a review!

Mist455 - I'm happy you love the story! Here is the update!

Shadow of an Echo - Thank you! I was unsure about the pacing because sometimes I feel it's too slow, but then I don't want to make it too fast. I agree with you too! They are amazing! *twiddles thumbs* I don't know, I mean like I think it might be a little generic...Kise's power...hopefully I won't disappoint! I like the idea of Aomine being caring even though his outer shell is very rough sometimes. I will say that we will see more of our Ryou a little later... *more tears of relief shed* Thank you! I get very unsure when I'm writing the fluff and intimate parts! More compliments!? Thank you for being a great pillar of support and an awesome reviewer! Every review you write gives me butterflies of happiness!

akitohyuga.7 - I hope this was fast enough and will do! Thank you for the review!

telletha - You're welcome and thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked the fighting scene! Well, we'll be seeing more of Ryou later on... Aomine will come in! Just not in this chapter...Please enjoy the chapter!

mariaelennaella - Thank you! Your welcome, and I'm glad my story has interested you!

MissSexyRain - Thank you for continuing your support! *nods head* I'd probably be terrified if I happened to see Akashi when he was angry. *shivers* Hopefully I'll be able to add in more of the Seirin Crew into the next chapters to add some spice to the plot line!

jessyjasmine.3158 - Awww! Thank you! That means a lot to me! Here is your update!

* * *

*bows head* I'm very sorry for this late update! I didn't get to write until Saturday and I finished up the editing this morning...

I'm going to try to get the next update on Sunday next week! I hope this chapter wasn't too random...I wanted to introduce Kuroko's power and give you guys a chance to see what Kuroko is capable of!

Poor Kuroko though...learning a little about the Kiseki no Sedai's other charges...

On a side note...Have you guys checked out Buddy Complex? It is hilarious and I'm already on board with the AobaxDio shipping boat!

But really, thank all of you again for being super nice and patient!


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